?" he would cry to the stars on his way home through the forest
after these evenings; but the stars twinkled coldly on, obviously
profoundly indifferent as to whether he found it or not. His chest of
drawers was full of the poems into which he had poured the emotions of
twenty, the emotions and longings that well-fed, unoccupied twenty
mistakes for soul. And then the English Miss had burst upon his gaze,
sitting in her carriage on that stormy March day, smiling at him from
the very first, piercing his heart through and through with eyes that
many persons besides Klutz saw were lovely, and so had he found Love,
and for ever lost his interest in apple jelly.

It was a confident, bold Love, with more hopes than fears, more
assurance than misgivings. The poem seemed to burn his pocket, so
violently did he long to show it round, to tell everyone of his good
fortune. The lilies-of-the-valley to which it had been tied and that he
wore since all day long in his coat, were hardly brown, and yet he was
tired already of having such a secret to himself. What advantage was
there in being told by the lady of Kleinwalde that she regretted not
being able to call him _Laemmchen_ or _Schaetzchen_ (the alternative
renderings his dictionary gave of "pet") if no one knew it?

When he reached the house he walked past it at a snail's pace, staring
up at the blank, repellent windows. Not a soul was to be seen. He went
on discontentedly. What should he do? The door had been shut in his face
once already that day, why he could not imagine. He hesitated, and
turned back. He would try again. Why not? The Miss would have scolded
the servant roundly when she heard that the person who dwelt in her
thoughts as a _Laemmchen_ had been turned away. He went boldly round the
grass plot in front of the house and knocked.

The same servant appeared. Instantly on seeing him she slammed the door,
and called out "_Nicht zu Haus!_"

"_Ekelhaftes Benehmen!_" cried Klutz aloud, flaming into sudden passion.
His mind, never very strong, had grown weaker along with his body during
these exciting days of love and fasting. A wave of fury swept over him
as he stood before the shut door and heard the servant going away; and
hardly knowing what he did, he seized the knocker, and knocked and
knocked till the woods rang.

There was a sound of hurried footsteps on the path behind him, and
turning his head, his hand still knocking, he saw Dellwig running
towards him.