ecklace, "the Herr Oberleutnant has asked me to go
with him to Landsdorf. He must buy some eggs there to take home to his
mother. He saves a penny on eight eggs by knowing the right peasants to
bargain with."

"Are you an American?" said the Vegetable Lady, turning to me.

"No."

"Then you are an Englishwoman?"

"Well, hardly--"

"You must be one of the two; you cannot help it. I have seen you walking
alone several times. You wear your--"

I got up and climbed on to the swing. The air was sweet and cool,
rushing past my body. Above, white clouds trailed delicately through
the blue sky. From the pine forest streamed a wild perfume, the branches
swayed together, rhythmically, sonorously. I felt so light and free and
happy--so childish! I wanted to poke my tongue out at the circle on the
grass, who, drawing close together, were whispering meaningly.

"Perhaps you do not know," cried a voice from one of the cells, "to
swing is very upsetting for the stomach? A friend of mine could keep
nothing down for three weeks after exciting herself so."

I went to the bath shelter and was hosed.

As I dressed, someone tapped on the wall.

"Do you know," said a voice, "there is a man who LIVES in the Luft Bad
next door? He buries himself up to the armpits in mud and refuses to
believe in the Trinity."

The umbrellas are the saving grace of the Luft Bad. Now when I go, I
take my husband's "storm" gamp and sit in a corner, hiding behind it.

Not that I am in the least ashamed of my legs.

9. A BIRTHDAY.

Andreas Binzer woke slowly. He turned over on the narrow bed and
stretched himself--yawned--opening his mouth as widely as possible and
bringing his teeth together afterwards with a sharp "click." The sound
of that click fascinated him; he repeated it quickly several times,
with a snapping movement of the jaws. What teeth! he thought. Sound as a
bell, every man jack of them. Never had one out, never had one stopped.
That comes of no tomfoolery in eating, and a good regular brushing night
and morning. He raised himself on his left elbow and waved his right arm
over the side of the bed to feel for the chair where he put his watch
and chain overnight. No chair was there--of course, he'd forgotten,
there wasn't a chair in this wretched spare room. Had to put the
confounded thing under his pillow. "Half-past eight, Sunday, breakfast
at nine--time for the bath"--his brain ticked to the watch. He sprang
out of bed and wen