Your new uniform was
bought with the borrowed money, your beautiful patent leather shoes
too, and half-a-dozen pairs of white gloves."

Her husband did not care to remember this: "Hold your tongue!" he
growled; but his pretty wife insisted: "No, no, he must be a good kind
man!"

"A drunken fat pig, that's what he is!" said Henke. "You can see that
at a glance."

"That's as may be," replied Lisbeth calmly; and she proceeded to set
forth to her wondering husband a plan she had conceived for increasing
the financial resources of the household.

She would do fine washing and ironing for the one-year volunteers; and
he, Henke, should arrange it with them.

Henceforth the young wife spent her days over the wash-tub and the
ironing-board. She found plenty to do; for the young men liked to have
their things brought home by a lovely little person like the
trumpeter's wife, in her neat fresh attire.

A special friendship soon established itself between her and
Trautvetter. She looked upon the plump volunteer as a good-natured
person, who did not, at any rate now, show any of the evil
characteristics imputed to him by her husband. He looked rather
embarrassed when she thanked him heartily for giving back the
notes-of-hand; and as he was acquainted with her husband's weaknesses
it came to pass that they often talked about Henke. The woman felt a
need of speaking out to some one about her husband, and Trautvetter
gave her the best advice he could.

The young woman pleased him with her industrious, intelligent ways.
Formerly he would probably have thoughtlessly tried to seduce her; but
now he felt an involuntary respect for her diligent activity, and her
love for her husband impressed him.

The trumpeter soon became aware that his wife had a certain influence
over the one-year volunteer, and he immediately used this discovery to
make Lisbeth a means of obtaining further small loans of money.

Lisbeth was ashamed of the deception this entailed upon her; she always
refused to undertake the commission, but on each occasion Henke managed
to prevail upon her to do so. Then when she brought him the money he
would laugh sarcastically. It was capital to have a pretty wife who
could manage things so nicely. He had no need even to be jealous; she
was helplessly in love with himself!

But in the course of time his wife's eyes were opened. She learnt to
examine her husband more closely, and saw through him more clearly
every day. H