es because he had been audacious enough to
indulge in gibes at the expense of the doughty lady during the ball.
In fact, while in the enterprising stage which forms so interesting a
part of the effects produced on human bipeds by champagne, he had been
bold enough to pay her some strongly ironical compliments in her
capacity of "mermaid." He had told her incidentally that she was
eminently fitted for her part, as it was a well-known physiological
fact that fat kept afloat on water. Frau Stark, who was proof at all
times both against flattery and against the insinuating allurements of
the foamy liquid, and who was as much matter-of-fact to-day as she had
been the night before, merely deigned to accept these excuses with a
small nod and a dry "That will do!"

Leimann, on his part, likewise started out on a tour of visits, the
sole purpose of which was to offer much-needed explanations and
apologies to nearly every member of the club whom he had offended
more or less seriously during the period of his "howling desolation."

Night had come, in fact, when the larger number of the officers met at
a solemn "Daemmerschoppen" at the Casino,--a process of applying hair
of the dog that bit you to cure the injury. They discussed in voices
still considerably husky and thick the doings and misdoings at the
entertainment of the previous night. Criticism was applied freely to
everybody who happened to be absent; but about Leimann judgment was
unanimous: he was a beast.

It was Borgert's part to report to the assembled "Corona,"[16] in his
inimitable manner, about that part of the adventures of Kolberg and
Frau Kahle which had come under his personal observation.

[16] "Corona," meaning all the drinkers present; a student's
expression.--TR.

Nothing had escaped his lynx eye, and he related with great gusto what
he had not failed to discover of the interesting proceedings in the
arbor. Even the protection of the screen had not been sufficient to
blind him.

While all these things were said about them, Kolberg and Frau Kahle
were sitting near a good fire in his room, enjoying the renewal of
their intimacy.

On pretext of necessary purchases, she had escaped the vigilance of
her husband, and under the protection of the dark had hastened to that
end of the town and to the garden behind the walls of which stood the
small house inhabited by Kolberg. Tall chestnut trees, throwing their
shadows over its roof, gave it additional