this year
they had been drawn closer to one another, and had withdrawn more and
more from the other members of "Paradise." Nor was Angelica any longer
the only representative of her sex among them, and the only one thus
excluded from the men's festivals. And so it was determined that
Christmas Eve should be celebrated in the studio-building; that the
tree should be set up in Rosenbusch's room, and the table laid in
Angelica's--a plan which the two neighbors laid before the others as a
joint idea of their own. Each deposited his contribution toward the
preparations, in a money-box of which Angelica was the custodian.

Nor did Rosenbusch fail to contribute his share, although Angelica
tried by all sorts of pretexts to prevent him. How he had suddenly
come into possession of money again--for he had not sold any of his
work--was a mystery to Angelica, until she helped him to clear out his
studio in order to make room for the Christmas decorations. Then she
missed the silver-mounted box, his most precious treasure. Upon her
reproaching him about the matter he replied:

"What would you have, my dear friend? It is my misfortune to be a
single man. If I were the father of a family and could not pay my rent
I should be relieved of all want. For you must know that the Art
Society looks at the distress rather than at the talent of those of
whom it buys pictures. Help me to a wife, and I promise you not to
dispose of another article from my museum."

And then for several days he was in the brightest of spirits, hammering
and working as though he were engaged in arranging the studio for his
own wedding, and, in the short intervals of rest, taking his flute from
its case again.

Christmas Eve came at last. In the afternoon the hermit of the lake
returned to the city, with the faithful Homo, who had now become his
inseparable companion. Felix's first visit was to Jansen. They were
alone together for some hours--hours that carried them back to the time
of their early friendship, so freely did each open his heart, and so
keenly did they realize once more what they were and always would be to
one another. Yet they both avoided touching upon the details of their
past, as though it were taken for granted that each had an accurate
knowledge of the other's history.

That Jansen was struggling impatiently to free himself from his bonds,
and that Felix had given up all hope of ever finding his old happiness
again, was all that they confe