port of Borgert's questions scarcely reached him,
and the latter deemed it therefore wise to remain no longer. He made
the promise, however, to join the Leimanns at their evening meal.

Reaching his own room again, Borgert felt himself free of a great
burden. In his heart he rejoiced at the sudden turn his affairs had
taken. The bother and vexation of uncertainty no longer weighed on his
mind. "The die is cast!" he mumbled to himself. He would have liked to
dance and scream for joy. Another day only, and he would be rid of the
whole sorry outfit, and there would be no further occasion to worry.
And with that, such a pretty travelling companion! He really wondered
at himself now that this idea had not come to him sooner.

Suddenly it crossed his mind that he had not yet begun to pack. At
least he should at once proceed to preliminaries,--arranging and
putting aside things, and making ready for packing the more important
objects which he meant to take along.

But what was worth while taking? That was the question. He began to
pick out things. From over the sofa he took the large silver
goblet--the farewell gift from his former regiment--and placed it in
an adjoining room on the table.

Rapidly, then, he made his selections: an album of family portraits;
sundry packages of letters; a couple of riding-whips and crops
possessing an intrinsic value,--that is, a metallic one; two of the
smaller and more valuable oil paintings; and a large bundle of
letters,--these, besides some indispensable clothes, were all he
intended to take with him.

When he entered the door at Leimann's at seven, he found them already
at table.

Leimann's face wore a black look, and he hardly lifted his eyes to his
guest as Borgert entered.

His wife sat opposite to him, her eyes red and swollen with recent
weeping. She did not touch the food before her, but every little while
cast a searching and anxious look at her husband.

Throughout the evening harmony was not restored; not even a bottle of
Eckel succeeded in bringing gaiety back into this small circle.
Leimann remained in an ugly mood, and whenever that seized him
nothing could be done with him. Therefore the parting took place at an
early hour, and it was cooler than it had been on similar occasions.

* * * * *

Next morning Borgert had just risen when the second-hand dealer
arrived.

The officer saluted him pleasantly and bade him enter. Then he
com