ter. "The young Herr will soon be back, and then
we'll see him give Meinherr Burgher Jans the right-about. I call it
scandalous, I do, his persecuting an unprotected, lone widow--just
because her sons are away, and there's only me to look after her! But,
I keep him at arm's distance, I promise you, madame. It is only his
thief of a dog who manages to creep in here when I am about!"

Madame Dort blushed. She was a comely, middle-aged woman, and when she
coloured up she looked quite pretty.

"I'm sure, Lorischen," she said, "I wonder you can talk such nonsense;
you are as bad as poor Eric used to be, teasing me about that little fat
man! Poor Burgher Jans means no harm in coming to inquire after my
health while Fritz is away."

"That's just what I object to, dear lady," interrupted the other; "why
does he do it?"

"Can't you see, you stupid thing," said Madame Dort, laughing heartily,
the hopeful letter of her son having quite restored her spirits, "that
is the very reason? If dear Fritz were here, he would naturally ask him
how we all are; but, as he is away now, and I never go outside the
house, while you, my faithful Lorischen, are not very communicative, I
suppose, when you go to the Market Platz, it is plain enough to common
sense that the worthy Burgher, if he takes an interest in us, must come
here to inquire after the family himself!"

"Oh yes, I understand," answered the old nurse, in a grumbling tone.
She had lived so long with the widow, whom she looked upon really as a
child committed to her charge, that she considered she had a perfect
right to pass an opinion on anything which did not please her. Besides,
she was jealous, on behalf of the boys, of any interloper being put over
their heads in the shape of a stepfather, she as an old spinster having
a wholesome horror of the designing nature of all men, especially of the
little Burgher Jans, to whom she had taken an inveterate dislike. "Oh
yes, I understand," she said in an ironical tone she always assumed on
being a bit vexed; "when the cat's away the mice play!"

"I presume then," said Madame Dort dryly, "that Mouser is a good deal
absent now from his duties; for, I noticed this morning that half that
cheese in the cupboard was nibbled up. It was a good Limburger cheese,
too!"

"Ach, Himmel!" exclaimed the old nurse, not perceiving the design of her
mistress to change the conversation, and taking up the cudgels readily
to defend her dearly