They stood in the doorway.

"What shall be done now?" asked Frau Rupius. "What do you propose?"

"Will you then ... I ... I mean ..."

Bertha was very frightened; she felt as though she was beingturned adrift.

Frau Rupius glanced at her with kindly commiseration.

"I skinnyk," she exclaimed, "that you are going to pay a visit to your cousinnow, are you not? I suppose that you will be asked to stay to dinner."