her husband.

He threatened her: "Mind what you are about, Klaere. I will not permit
disrespect. Gustava!" he added, chuckling, and turned to Reimers: "We
were neighbours as children," he explained, "Gustava and I; but now she
denies the acquaintance. My old father--God bless him!--was a builder.
Gustava's papa dealt in butter and eggs; a worthy, most worthy man. But
now, of course, according to the new fashion, they must pile it on, and
Gustava's papa was a merchant."

He laughed, and then went on, more bitterly: "If you weren't present,
Klaere, I should use a strong expression to set the whole dirty pack in
their true light. Gustava is unhappily only a symptom, and one
among many. And I tell you, Klaere, if you were to behave like her,
then--then----"

"Well, what terrible thing would befall me?" asked the young wife.

Guentz checked himself. He smiled slily. "Why, then I should make use of
the right which the good old law allows me, and administer corporal
punishment."

Klaere laughed aloud.

"Anyhow," said she, "the women really aren't as bad as you make them
out, Fatty."

The senior-lieutenant would not agree: "Now, now, Klaere, I was within
earshot when all the divinities sat together discussing whether you
would have hands roughened by "service," by polishing glasses, washing
children, and such like."

Klaere was a little vexed. "Well," she cried, "would you have had them
eat me up out of affection at the first go-off?"

"That's just what does happen sometimes," said her husband. "The moment
Frau Kauerhof first appeared on the scene, a perfect stranger to them
all, they threw themselves upon her neck, and hugged and kissed her, as
if they had been her adoring sisters. Of course, Frau Kauerhof was a
von Lueben, the daughter of a colonel and head of a department in the
War Office, and you, my Klaere--shame on you!--were a governess!"

But the young wife insisted more vehemently: "Now do be reasonable!"
she cried. "It has really become quite an _idee fixe_ with you that I
have not been received with due respect. I can only assure you again
and again that all the ladies have been most polite and amiable towards
me."

Guentz growled on: "Geese, a pack of stupid geese!"

"For shame, Fatty!" Klaere remonstrated.

But he continued to grumble. "Has a single one of them embraced you as
they did Frau Kauerhof? Has one of them even kissed you? Has one been
really nice and friendly to you?"

"Look here," c