further attempts to retain her guests,
not dissatisfied, on the whole, that but a small circle remained. For
with them it was not necessary to weigh words as carefully as in the
presence of the colonel. It frequently happened that he, the day after
a social gathering, took occasion to reprove his captains and
lieutenants for a careless turn of phrase or for something which he
construed as a lack of respect shown to him or his wife.

Those five gone, the others moved their chairs closer together around
the table, and some fresh, foaming nectar was served. Borgert started
the talk.

"Did you notice how this Stark woman again had a whispered confab with
the colonel?" he said. "Such manners I think they ought to leave at
home, for there they are not very particular. Just fancy, the other
day I was witness when Stark threw a slipper at his wife, and she on
her part had received me in a horribly soiled and frowzy morning
gown."

"I saw worse than that," interrupted Leimann. "Last week they had in
my presence one of their frequent matrimonial disagreements, and the
fat one, her husband, clinched the matter by shouting at her: 'Hold
your tongue, woman!' A nice, lovable couple, those two!"

"Anyway, it seems as if she lorded it over him pretty effectually,"
broke in the adjutant. "Day before yesterday Stark had had his fill at
the White Swan, and when he became a trifle noisy and quarrelsome his
wife arrived on the scene and behaved simply disgracefully. Finally
she tucked him under her arm and took him home amidst the shouts and
laughter of the other guests. I don't think their meeting at home can
have been an angelic one."

"That sort of thing happens every little while," remarked Pommer; "at
least at the Casino[5] she appears whenever he does not depart
punctually at mealtime, and calls him hard names before the very
orderlies."

[5] "Casino"; the military club houses are so called.--ED.

"Well, she is keeping a sharp eye on him just now," said Captain
Koenig, good-humoredly, "for he wants to get his promotion as major,
or, rather, it is her ambition to become Frau Major."

"Why, there can be no idea of that," interjected Borgert, with a great
show of righteous indignation. "If this totally incapable idiot
becomes major I ought to be made at least a general. Though it is
queer that the colonel is evidently moving heaven and earth in his
behalf."

"Good reason why," retorted Leimann, calmly.

"How so?"

"D