g
twilight. She soon found that her opponent had, during his absence,
come on very much in his play. At Cairo he had played with English
people, acknowledged masters of the game; whilst she herself, through
playing with indifferent performers, had lost much of her former
facility; so now they were well matched.

Feeling this, Reimers played more easily and surely than of old, and
consequently had greater leisure to remark what he had formerly been
indifferent to--the beauty and grace of his opponent.

Meeting her during the winter in society, when she was as though bowed
down by her secret sorrow, and took little part in the gay life around
her, he had thought her looking older. But now, in the budding
springtime, in the warm sunshine, animated by the game, she seemed to
have bathed in the fountain of youth.

Her tennis costume--with which, of course, she wore no corset, but only
a narrow belt--was very becoming: a light blouse, a mouse-coloured
skirt, close fitting over the hips and not reaching to her ankles, grey
silk stockings, and white suede shoes guiltless of heels.

The ladies of the regiment pronounced this attire "indecent"; though
not one of them would have hesitated to dress similarly, if it had
suited her as well as it did Frau von Gropphusen.

Frau Kauerhof (_nee_ von Lueben) had indeed once attempted to appear in
a like toilet, only her skirt was navy-blue. It was difficult to say
wherein the difference consisted,--perhaps her skirt was a little
longer than the other's,--but the whole effect was not so successful.
And yet Frau Kauerhof was a pretty creature enough; not exactly slim,
but rather of a blonde plumpness, and this was somewhat noticeable in
her loose shirt. The glances of the young lieutenants dwelt rather
insistently thereon. They were also able to make another interesting
discovery. Frau Kauerhof's calves began immediately above her ankles.
They were very fat calves.

Furthermore, Frau Kauerhof's white shoes advertised the fact that her
feet were enormous. This the ladies decided with absolute unanimity;
and they begged Frau Wegstetten, the highest in rank among the women
tennis-players, to give her a hint.

That lady shrank from the commission. It was unpleasant to offend one
whose papa was in the Ministry of War; and the situation might
therefore have continued, perhaps to the satisfaction of the younger
officers, if a fortunate chance had not brought Kauerhof himself to the
tennis