n. For a time, they got him about between them. Then Furst grew
obstreperous, and wanted to pour his beer on the floor as soon as it
was set before him, so that they were put out of two places, in the
second of which they left Krafft. But the better half of the night was
over before Schilsky was comfortably drunk, and in a state to unbosom
himself to a sympathetic waitress, about the hardship it was to be
bound to some one older than yourself. He shed tears of pity at his
lot, and was extremely communicative. "'N KORPER, SCHA-AGE IHNEN, 'N
KORPER!" but old, old, a "HALB'SCH JAHR' UND'RT" older than he was, and
desperately jealous.

"It's too bad; such a nice young man as you are," said the MAMSELL,
who, herself not very sober, was sitting at ease on his knee, swinging
her legs. "But you nice ones are always chicken-hearted. Treat her as
she deserves, my chuck, and make no bones about it. Just let her
rip--and you stick to me!"

VI.

One cold, windy afternoon, when dust was stirring and rain seemed
imminent, Maurice Guest walked with bent head and his hat pulled over
his eyes. He was returning from the ZEITZERSTRASSE, where, in a
photographer's show-case, he had a few days earlier discovered a large
photograph of Louise. This was a source of great pleasure to him. Here,
no laws of breeding or delicacy hindered him from gazing at her as
often as he chose.

On this particular day, whether he had looked too long, or whether the
unrest of the weather, the sense of something impending, the dusty
dryness that craved rain, had got into his blood and disquieted him:
whatever it was, he felt restless and sick for news of her, and, at
this very moment, was on his way to Madeleine, in the foolish hope of
hearing her name.

But a little adventure befell him which made him forget his intention.

He was about to turn the corner of a street, when a sudden blast of
wind swept round, bearing with it some half dozen single sheets of
music. For a moment they whirled high, then sank fluttering to the
ground, only to rise again and race one another along the road. Maurice
instinctively gave chase, but it was not easy to catch them; no sooner
had he secured one than the next was out of his reach.

Meanwhile their owner, a young and very pretty girl, looked on and
laughed, without making any effort to help him; and the more he exerted
himself, the more she laughed. In one hand she was carrying a
violin-case, in the other a vel