her lips, "O yes,
the doctor is a true friend of the poor."

"He is your friend too; he said a great deal of good of you."

"Did he? That was because he was out in the open air; he does not dare
speak well of me at home. His five womenkind would not let him. I must
except the old mayoress, though; she is always kind."

"And are not the others? I should have thought--"

"I don't want to speak ill of them or any one else. I desire to be
thankful I have no need to exalt myself at the expense of others, to
help myself out of another's purse, as old Marie Lenz used to say.
Thousands of persons are passing in and out here who can let the whole
world know what we are. A hotel is not like a private house, where the
family can appear most loving to one another, and keep everything in
beautiful order for two or three days, while a visitor is present, and
then, behind his back, be ready to scratch each other's eyes out, and
let the housekeeping go at sixes and sevens; or, where a young lady can
begin to sing when she sees a gentleman going by, or can take her work
into the garden and make herself ornamental. But I don't want to speak
ill of anybody, only--" here Annele slipped as by accident into the
familiar German "thou." "Oh! I beg your pardon; I forgot I was not
talking to my brother-in-law, or I should not have said 'thou.'"

"I have no objection to it. Let us say 'thou' to one another."

"Not for the world! I cannot stay, if we are to talk in that way. I
wonder what keeps father so long?" said the landlord's daughter,
blushing.

"Where is your father gone?"

"He had to see to his business, but he may be back any minute. I wish
he would give up business. What is the use of his working so hard? He
thinks he could not live without it. A man might as well die as give up
business, he says; watching and working, thinking and planning, keep
one's faculties awake. And I believe he is right. For my part, I cannot
imagine how any one in youth and health can sit and play the piano all
the morning, or dilly-dally about the house, singing. To turn your hand
to this thing and that keeps you wide awake. To be sure, if you count
what we women earn in money it is not much; but to keep a house in good
order is worth something."

"Yes, indeed," said the engineer; "the devotion of people to their work
here is wonderful. Many of the clockmakers work fourteen hours a day.
They deserve great praise for it."

The girl cast a look of su