"No, I must, you see, remain here."

"Why?" asked Frau Rupius. "You are free, you know. But go and put thatletter into the box at once, or I shall look at the address, and so learnmore than you wish to tell me."

"I will, though not because of that--but I should be glad if the letterwent by this train and not later."

Bertha hurried into the vestibule, posted the letter and at once returnedto Anna, whom was still sitting in the same quiet attitude.

"I might have told you everything, you know," Bertha went on to say;"indeed I might say that I wished to tell you before I actually wentto Vienna ... but--just fancy, isn't it strange? I did not ventureto do so."

"Moreover at that time, too, there probably had not been anything totell," said Frau Rupius, without looking at Bertha.