"it
appears that I wasn't making a mistake when I chose you for my wife."

"How's that, my Fatty?" asked his wife.

"Reimers has just been saying that the sight of our wedded life gives
him an appetite for matrimony. What do you say to that?"

"A very sensible remark, Herr Reimers," laughed Klaere.

Reimers blushed a little and rejoined: "Well, then, I shall soon go
bride-hunting. For your advice is always good, dear lady."

"Now then, flatterer!" growled Guentz. "Don't make my wife conceited."

But when Reimers had bidden them good-bye he said to Klaere: "I really
believe it would be a most sensible thing for Reimers to marry; he is
not the sort to become a mere mess-house or tavern _habitue_. He ought
to go about and study the daughters of our country a little."

"Why go about? There's good enough near at hand," said Frau Klaere.

The captain looked up: "Eh?"

Smilingly his wife pointed over her shoulder to the neighbouring villa.

"Marie Falkenhein?" asked Guentz.

Frau Klaere nodded.

"You don't want to earn a match-maker's reward, do you, now?" inquired
her husband.

"Oh, Fatty, darling! don't you know me better than that?"
his wife protested. "No, no, nothing of the sort! But seriously, I do
mean that those two young people would suit each other very well. With
regard to Marie, I know positively this much, she thinks Reimers very
nice; and that is, at any rate, something to go on, until our dear
Reimers opens his eyes."

"But let him open them quite by himself, please; no assistance, I do
beg!" the captain interrupted.

"Of course, Fatty, quite by himself."

"But, Klaere, how about that episode of the Gropphusen? That was a bit
off the rails, wasn't it?"

"Nothing of the kind. Nothing but a mere passing flirtation."

Guentz shook his head thoughtfully.

"No, Klaere," he replied. "I understand Reimers. He would never have
anything to do with mere passing flirtations. It is just the dear
fellow's misfortune that he takes everything so damned seriously. It
went pretty deep with him that time with the Gropphusen; you can
believe me as to that."

"Still, one does not cling for all eternity to such a useless sort of
business."

Guentz was not quite convinced.

"Well, we must hope not," he said. "And, really, the two would suit
each other excellently."

Walking up and down the room he continued: "Yes, in all respects.
Reimers has an income of about seventy thousand marks, and the colonel
wo