his attentions to Frau Heimert.

Albina could not endure little children, and took no interest whatever
in his remarkable baby. This he thought rather stupid of her;
nevertheless the Bohemian girl completely turned his head.

Uninvited, he constantly dropped in now on the Heimerts "to smoke a
cigar with the deputy sergeant-major," as he said. Almost shamelessly
he pursued his object, grossly flattering Albina, and making risky
jokes with her.

Heimert sat by nearly choking with rage. He hardly knew why he did not
seize the seducer by the throat. But the culprits would have a complete
defence ready. Was it not all mere harmless jesting? Whatever anguish
of jealousy he might feel, he must wait for fuller evidence.

And into the midst of the laughter would come through the thin walls
now the cry of the infant, and then the low singing of Ida as she
lulled her little one to sleep.

Albina wished to enjoy her revenge to the full. During the winter the
sergeant-major had treated her as a cast-off love; he should suffer
awhile for that. She exercised all her arts to augment his pain; it
gave her a half fearful, half delicious pleasure to note his
impatience.

One evening Heppner seized an opportunity when he imagined himself
alone with her. He caught her head in his hands almost savagely and
pressed a wild, passionate kiss on her lips. Albina's defiant
resolution broke down; she returned his kiss with equal passion.

Heimert, standing in the dark kitchen, screened by the door, saw it
all.

He had been to fetch a bottle of beer, now he suddenly re-entered the
room.

"There's no beer, Albina," he said; "you must have been mistaken."

He sat down slowly at the table, and drummed gently with his fingers on
a plate. The guilty pair were as if stunned by the fervour of their
embrace; though little suspecting that the betrayed husband had
witnessed it. They did not respond to his remark, and seemed lost to
time and space. Neither did they notice that a long, oppressive silence
had fallen on them, that the lamp was burning low, and the room
darkening.

At last Heimert drew out his watch. "It's time to go to bed," he said;
"we've got to get up to-morrow morning."

Heppner and Albina awoke suddenly from their entranced condition, and
the sergeant-major hastened to say good night.

Quickly Albina prepared for bed. Usually she went through many
ceremonies with a view to preserving her beauty: she rubbed her skin
with la