e graceful hat. Her manner changed--her eyes
brightened, her cheeks reddened, and she talked fast and laughed a
great deal. As they passed near him she laughed loudly and called out
to Sophie as if she were not at her elbow--she feared he would not see.
Mr. Feuerstein turned his picturesque head, slowly lifted his hat and
joined them. At once Hilda became silent, listening with rapt
attention to the commonplaces he delivered in sonorous, oracular tones.

As he deigned to talk only to Hilda, who was walking between Sophie and
him, Sophie was free to gaze round. She spied Otto Heilig drooping
dejectedly along. She adroitly steered her party so that it crossed
his path. He looked up to find himself staring at Hilda. She frowned
at this disagreeable apparition into her happiness, and quickened her
step. But Sophie, without letting go of Hilda's hand, paused and spoke
to Otto. Thus Hilda was forced to stop and to say ungraciously: "Mr.
Feuerstein, Mr. Heilig."

Then she and Mr. Feuerstein went on, and Sophie drew the reluctant Otto
in behind them. She gradually slackened her pace, so that she and
Heilig dropped back until several couples separated them from Hilda and
Mr. Feuerstein. A few minutes and Hilda and Mr. Feuerstein were seated
on a bench in the deep shadow of a tree, Sophie and Heilig walking
slowly to and fro a short distance away.

Heilig was miserable with despondent jealousy. He longed to inquire
about this remarkable-looking new friend of Hilda's. For Mr.
Feuerstein seemed to be of that class of strangers whom Avenue A
condemns on their very appearance. It associates respectability with
work only, and it therefore suspects those who look as if they did not
work and did not know how. Sophie was soon answering of her own accord
the questions Heilig as a gentleman could not ask. "You must have
heard of Mr. Feuerstein? He's an actor--at the German Theater. I
don't think he's much of an actor--he's one of the kind that do all
their acting off the stage."

Heilig laughed unnaturally. He did not feel like laughing, but wished
to show his gratitude to Sophie for this shrewd blow at his enemy.
"He's rigged out like a lunatic, isn't he?" Otto was thinking of the
long hair, the low-rolling shirt collar and the velvet collar on his
coat,--light gray, to match his hat and suit.

"I don't see what Hilda finds in him," continued Sophie. "It makes me
laugh to look at him; and when he talks I can