oncerning the raw air and the disgusting,
clinging fog, which, as he asserted, had come so early this year out of
pure malevolence, knowing that they were obliged to stay out here on
account of their sick friend. Then, too, the stoves, which had not been
used for many years, refused to draw; and they were soon forced to give
up heating the dining-room.

Nevertheless Kohle, whose inner fire was still unquenched, would not
allow himself to be deterred from working away at his Venus allegory;
though Rossel had now lost all interest in it, and even accompanied the
progress of the work with open sneers at the idea of their attempting
to naturalize the naked beauty under such a foggy sky.

But then when the autumn sun bethought itself of its might once more,
and, at high noon at least, awakened for hours all the charms of a most
glorious Indian summer, Rossel still continued in a bad humor, which he
was only careful to conceal in Felix's presence. Schnetz soon got at
the true cause of his low spirits--the almost contemptuous coldness
with which Zenz treated him. His singular passion, which had sprung
originally from an artistic whim, was only inflamed the more by this.
And now that he had learned the secret of her birth, he grew very
melancholy, actually lost his appetite, and, with the exception of the
hours he spent with Felix, shut himself up from every one, not even
making his appearance at meals. Schnetz came to the conclusion that he
had made a formal offer of marriage to the little red-haired witch, and
had been dismissed without ceremony.

This strange child bore herself with great coolness in the midst of all
these temptations and perplexities. It is true she no longer laughed as
much as she had in the summer. Yet she never made her appearance with
red eyes, or with any other signs of secret grief, and even when she
had to wait on Felix her face was cheerful and unembarrassed. But on
the very first day that the convalescent was allowed to go down into
the garden, leaning on Schnetz's arm, she unexpectedly appeared before
them, her little hat on her head and in her hand a little traveling-bag
containing her few possessions, which she had sent over from the inn
across the lake. She very quietly announced that she was about to
return to the city, as she could be of no further use here. The Herr
Baron was as good as well, and within the last few weeks old Katie had
so far succeeded in breaking herself of her taste for