, his wife liked to see them, but not at other
times. "Is the gracious Miss interested in politics?" he inquired, as he
put several together.

"No, not particularly," said Anna; "at least, not yet in German
politics. I must live here a little while first."

"In--in literature, perhaps?"

"No, not particularly. I know so little about German books."

"There are some well-written articles occasionally on the modes in
ladies' dresses."

"Really?"

"My wife tells me she often gets hints from them as to what is being
worn. Ladies, we know," he added with a superior smile, checked,
however, on his remembering that he was pained, "are interested in these
matters."

"Yes, they are," agreed Anna, smiling, and holding out her hand for the
papers.

"Ah, then, it is that that the gracious Miss wishes to read?" he said
quickly.

"No, not particularly," said Anna, who began to see that he too suffered
from the prevailing inquisitiveness. Besides, she was too much afraid of
his having sisters, or of his wife's having sisters, eager to come and
be a blessing to her, to tell him about her advertisement.

On the steps of his house, to which Dellwig accompanied the two girls,
stood a man who had just got off his horse. He was pulling off his
gloves as he watched it being led away by a boy. He had his back to
Anna, and she looked at it interested, for it was unlike any back she
had yet seen in Kleinwalde, in that it was the back of a gentleman.

"It is Herr von Lohm," said Dellwig, "who has business here this
morning. Some of our people unfortunately drink too much on holidays
like Good Friday, and there are quarrels. I explained to the gracious
one that he is our Amtsvorsteher."

Herr von Lohm turned at the sound of Dellwig's voice, and took off his
hat. "Pray present me to these ladies," he said to Dellwig, and bowed as
gravely to Letty as to Anna, to her great satisfaction.

"So this is my neighbour?" thought Anna, looking down at him from the
higher step on which she stood with her papers under her arm.

"So this is old Joachim's niece, of whom he was always talking?" thought
Lohm, looking up at her. "Wise old man to leave the place to her instead
of to those unpleasant sons." And he proceeded to make a few
conventional remarks, hoping that she liked her new home and would soon
be quite used to the country life. "It is very quiet and lonely for a
lady not used to our kind of country, with its big estates and few
neigh