unning into debt. I had to swear to him that the whole turn-out
didn't cost me more than what he had given me for it."

"And is that the truth, dear child?"

"Well, I had just to add four marks from my pocket-money."

Klaere shook her head smilingly. "Dear, dear! So young and already so
depraved! Hypocrisy and perjury! Well, at least it is worth it."

Frau von Gropphusen now made quite a business of helping Marie von
Falkenhein about her clothes. Hannah's slender hands were quicker and
cleverer than those of the deftest maid, and she knew how to transform
the young girl's plain boarding-school frocks into something quite
pretty and original.

She did all this with a soft motherly tenderness, hardly in accordance
with her own youthfulness. Marie Falkenhien's school-girl stiffness
disappeared gradually, and a dainty young woman blossomed out.

"By Jove!" said Guentz to Frau Klaere. "How Mariechen is coming on! She
is getting a deuced pretty little girl!"

And Reimers looked at the young girl with eyes which no longer
contained the brotherly indifference of past months.

Shortly before the departure of the troops for the practice-camp the
regimental adjutant, Senior-lieutenant Kauerhof, had a fall from his
horse, and injured one of the tendons of his knee-joint. This would
probably keep him away from duty for about six weeks, so Lieutenant
Reimers was appointed to take his work. Being the eldest lieutenant in
the regiment his promotion to senior-lieutenant was expected any day.

The young officer was in the seventh heaven of delight at this mark of
distinction. He embarked on his new duties with boundless and untiring
zeal. He almost divined the wishes of Falkenhein; and sometimes it was
not even necessary to give explicit directions as to the manner in
which this or that order was to be carried out. The colonel knew that
Reimers, with his powers of intuition, would do the right thing.

Falkenhein could not imagine a more painstaking adjutant, nor one who,
when off duty, on the march, or at the practice-camp, could have looked
after his colonel's comfort with more tender consideration. He had
noticed that Reimers had of late paid his daughter attention, and the
idea of some day entrusting his child to the care of this excellent
young man--already like a beloved son to him--gave him real pleasure.
This gratifying prospect made him more unreserved than was usually his
custom. It was well known that the colonel wa