talking about Ludovic for the hour together the other night."

"You shouldn't listen, Tetchen."

"I didn't listen, miss. But when one is in and out one cannot stop
one's ears. I hope there isn't going to be anything wrong between 'em
about the house."

"My aunt will never do anything wrong, and my aunt will never marry
Peter Steinmarc." So Linda declared in her aunt's defence, and in her
latter assertion she was certainly right. Madame Staubach was not
minded to marry Herr Steinmarc; but she might have done so had she
wished it, for Herr Steinmarc asked her to take him more than once.

At this time the widow Staubach was a woman not much over forty years
of age; and though it can hardly be said she was comely, yet she
was not without a certain prettiness which might have charms in the
judgment of Herr Steinmarc. She was very thin, and her face was pale,
and here and there was the beginning of a wrinkle telling as much
of trouble as of years; but her eyes were bright and clear, and her
smooth hair, of which but the edge was allowed to be seen beneath her
cap, was of as rich a brown as when she had married Gasper Staubach,
now more than twenty years ago; and her teeth were white and perfect,
and the oval of her face had not been impaired by time, and her step,
though slow, was light and firm, and her voice, though sad, was low
and soft. In talking to men--to such a man as was Herr Steinmarc--her
voice was always low and soft, though there would be a sharp note in
it now and again when she would be speaking to Tetchen or her niece.
Whether it was her gentle voice, or her bright eyes, or the edge of
soft brown hair beneath her cap, or some less creditable feeling
of covetousness in regard to the gabled house in the Schuett island,
shall not here be even guessed; but it was the fact that Herr
Steinmarc had more than once asked Madame Staubach to be his wife
when Tetchen first imparted her suspicion to Linda.

"And what were they saying about Ludovic?" asked Linda, when
Tetchen, for the third time came to Linda with her tidings. Now
Linda had scolded Tetchen for listening to her aunt's conversation
about Ludovic, and Tetchen thought it unjust that she should be
interrogated on the subject after being so treated.

"I told you, miss, I didn't hear anything;--only just the name."

"Very well, Tetchen; that will do; only I hope you won't say such
things of aunt Charlotte anywhere else."

"What harm have I said, Linda? s