rs.

The devil! How utterly absurd! He had actually positively disliked this
beautiful creature all the winter! He was astonished at his own bad
taste. Before him stood his wife on the kitchen hearth, her figure
rendered shapeless by her advanced state of pregnancy. And he had once
thought her prettier than Albina!

From this time he began to show Frau Heimert small attentions. He would
walk with her if they met in the barrack-yard, would carry her parcels,
or stand aside politely to let her precede him up the stairs, and then
open the door for her. He would inquire earnestly after her health; and
once, when she complained of a headache, he brought her all sorts of
remedies, besides enjoining the men to be very quiet and to tread
softly as they passed her door.

But Albina played the prude. She received the sergeant-major's
attentions very coolly, and cut short his conversational efforts so as
to excite him the more. At the same time her mockingly triumphant and
provocative glances would contradict the virtuous compression of her
lips.

Heppner did not at all despair. Unobtrusively he gradually multiplied
the proofs of his gallantry; and by slow degrees the object of his
attentions suffered her demeanour towards him to soften.

Suddenly Heimert noticed their intercourse, and, stirred by suspicious
jealousy, tried hard to put a stop to it. But was that possible?
The deputy sergeant-major was often detained for hours at the
exercise-ground half a mile away. Heppner, as sergeant-major, could
order it so; and thus he and Albina could be together undisturbed as
often and as long as they pleased.

Heimert would learn from the other men who had been on duty at the
barracks what Heppner had been about during the morning. He always
tried to find out stealthily and without exciting comment; but his
comrades knew very well what was up, and enjoyed playing on the
jealousy of the young husband.

At last the deputy sergeant-major hit on a curious plan. This was to
bring the two together in his presence. He thought that if there really
was a secret understanding between them they would betray themselves in
a moment of thoughtlessness. So he invited Heppner to drop in now and
then, in a neighbourly way, for a cigar and a bottle of beer.

The sergeant-major accepted. Once or twice he brought Ida with him;
then, as the time for her lying-in approached, he came alone.

Heimert watched them closely; every word, every movement,