Uberta,
planting herself, with arms akimbo, in front of the two culprits, and
dispensing her adjectives with equal liberality to both.

"It was a mistake, madam, I assure you," said Hahn huskily, as he
pulled out his handkerchief, and began to whip the dust off his
trowsers.

The wreath of thin hair which he had carefully combed, so as to make
the nakedness of his crown less conspicuous, was bristling toward all
the points of the compass. His tall hat had gone on an independent
journey down the stairs, and was heard tumbling deliberately from step
to step. Fritz, who had recovered himself much more rapidly, seemed to
have forgotten that he had himself borne any part in the disgraceful
scene; he looked at his father with kind of a pitying superiority, and
began to assist him in the repair of his toilet, with the air of an
officious outsider, all of which the crest-fallen father endured with
great fortitude. He seemed only anxious to explain the situation to
the two women, who were still viewing him with marked disapproval.

"It was all a mistake, madam--a great mistake," he kept repeating.

"A great mistake!" ejaculated Mother Uberta, contemptuously. "This
isn't a time to be makin' mistakes outside the door of two lonely
women."

"It is fifteen minutes past nine," said Hahn meekly, pulling a
corpulent gold watch from the pocket of his waistcoat.

"Madam," said Fritz, without the slightest air of apology, "I came
here to consult you on a matter of business, which would bear no
delay."

"Exactly, exactly," interrupted Hahn eagerly. "So did I, a matter of
business which would bear no delay."

"Well, _Vaeterchen_, we are simple countrywomen, and we don't
understand city manners. But if you want to see me on business, I
shall be at home to-morrow at twelve o'clock."

So saying, Mother Uberta slammed the door in the faces of her
visitors, and left them to grope their way in the dark down the steep
stairway. It was highly characteristic, both of the senior and the
junior Hahn, that without a word of explanation they drove home
amicably in the same droschke.

Ilka's engagement at the "Haute Noblesse" in the autumn had proved a
great success, and Mother Uberta, who was never averse to earning
money, had, without difficulty, been persuaded to remain in Berlin
during the winter, on condition of the renewal of their contract for
another six weeks in the spring. Ilka was in the meanwhile to take
lessons in singing at Ha