to her ear: "Very well, Ottilie, you shall have your
way, but--spare me!" And how often had a pallid man entered through
that door and thrown himself silently on the sofa as if he found a
refuge here with his child. Ah, and it had been so too on that day,
that dreadful day, when afterwards it had grown so still, so deathly
still.

And there it was again, the loud weeping, the complaints against Heaven
that had made her the most miserable of women, and now was punishing
her through her children. Then there was an opening and shutting of
doors, a running about of servants; Gertrude even fancied she could
perceive the penetrating odor of valerian which Mrs. Baumhagen was
accustomed to take for her nervous attacks. And then the door flew open
and Jenny came in.

"Mamma is quite miserable," she said, reproachfully; "I had to send for
the doctor, and Sophie is putting wet compresses on her head. A lovely
day, I must say!"

"I am so sorry, Jenny," said the young girl.

"Oh, yes, but it was a very sudden blow. I must honestly confess that I
cannot understand you, Gertrude. You must have refused more than ten
good offers, you were always so fastidious, and now you have taken the
first best that offered."

"The best certainly," thought Gertrude, but she was silent.

The young wife mistakenly considered this as the effect of her words.

"Now just consider, child," she continued, "think it over again, you--"

"Stop, Jenny," cried the young girl in a firm voice. "What gives you
the right to speak so to me? Have I ever uttered a word about your
choice? Did I not welcome Arthur kindly? What advantages has he over
Linden? I alone have to judge as to the wisdom of this step, for I
alone must bear the consequences. It is not right to try to influence a
person in a matter that is so individual, that so entirely concerns
that person alone."

"Good gracious, don't get so excited about it!" cried Jenny. "We do not
consider him an eligible _parti_, because he is entirely without
fortune."

A deep shadow passed over Gertrude's pale face. "Oh, put aside the
question of money," she entreated; "do not disturb the sweetest dream
of my life--don't speak of it, Jenny."

But Jenny continued--"No, I will not keep silent, for you live in
dreamland, and you must look a little at the realities of life that you
may not fall too suddenly out of your fancied heaven. Perhaps you
imagine that Frank Linden would have shown such haste if you had