his dinner and his pipe he was silent, manifesting, however, a sort
of sheepishness and constraint that were not less strange in the eyes
of Aunt Hedwig and Minna than was the sudden revival of his interest in
tobacco and food. As he smoked, a pleasant thought came to him. When he
had knocked the ashes from his pipe he ordered Minna, surlily, to bring
him his hat and coat; he must pay a visit to that rascal Sohnstein, he
said; and so went out. He left the two women lost in wonder; and Aunt
Hed-wig, because of his characterization of her dear Sohnstein as a
rascal, disposed to weep. And yet, somehow, they both felt that the
storm was breaking, and that clear weather was at hand. There was nobody
in the shop just then; and the two, standing behind the rampart of
freshly-baked cakes that was high heaped up upon the counter, embraced
each other and mingled tears, which they knew--by reason of the womanly
instinct that was in them--were tears of joy.

And that very evening the prophecy of happiness that was in their joyful
sorrow was happily fulfilled.

Gottlieb did not return to the Cafe Nuernberg until after nine o'clock.
With him came Herr Sohnstein. They both were very grave and silent, yet
both exhibited a most curious twinklesomeness in their eyes. Neither
Aunt Hedwig nor Minna could make anything of their strange mood; and
Aunt Hedwig was put to her trumps completely when she was sure that
she saw her brother--who was whispering to Herr Sohnstein behind the
pie-counter--poke the notary in the ribs. As to the joint chuckle at
that moment of those two mysterious men there could be no doubt; she
heard it distinctly! 14

Still further to Aunt Hedwig's surprise, for the Cafe Nuernberg never
was closed before ten o'clock, and usually remained open much later,
Gottlieb himself began to put up the shutters; and when this work was
finished he came back into the shop and locked behind him the double
front door. Almost as he turned the key there was a knock outside, as
though somebody actually had been waiting in the street for the signal
that the closing of the shutters gave.

"Another rascal would come in already, Sohn-stein," said Gottlieb,
gruffly. "Open for him, but lock the door again. I must go up-stairs."

Gottlieb, with a queer smile upon his face, left the little back room;
and a moment later Minna uttered a cry of surprise, as Herr Sohnstein
unlocked the door and her own Hans entered the shop. What, she thought,