elf, if she salutes me as
her sister-in-law?"

Eric told her that Bella wanted him to go at once to Wolfsgarten, in
order to spend with Clodwig these few days in which he was unsettled.
And when he pointed out the abnormal position of a dependant, Manna
tenderly stroked his face, saying:--

"You good man, you have to serve; yes, I know now what this is for you,
the pure, lofty soul, whom all ought to serve. Ah, how much have you,
dear heart, been obliged to bear! But it is well, for otherwise we
should not have become acquainted with one another. Come, I shall be
able to do it. I will make myself do it."

She went to receive Bella, and she had self-control enough to do it in
an unexceptionable manner.

Eric soon went away, and Bella was amazed to see the glance with which
Manna followed him. Manna was desperate, talking much and in an
unusually lively way, so that Bella was puzzled afresh.

The Major was now announced; he came to congratulate Manna, and he did
it in his cordial and clumsy way.

"Do favor us with congratulations this evening, Herr Major, after my
brother has returned."

Manna turned away.

Bella had seen enough; it suddenly flashed across her: She loves Eric.
But no, that cannot be! She offered to embrace and kiss Manna, but
Manna begged her, with tears, to leave her in quiet to-day.

Bella stood up erect and looked at Manna; it was the Medusa-look, but
Manna bore it quietly. Without another word Bella strode out of the
house, and left the villa. What she thought, what she meditated, who
can tell? She herself did not know, and no one at the villa was at all
anxious about it.

After Bella had gone, the Major stepped up to Manna, who was standing
motionless, and said:--

"You have done bravely, child--you've stood fire well--that's good! You
shall have a backer in me, and in Fraeulein Milch too; and if they
bother you here in the house, you'll come to us; be easy, you're not
all alone in the world. You'll ask her pardon, you'll find out--don't
speak--you've a backer in me--and she told me to come here, she'd go to
the Professorin; she knows where there's need. I only wish when you've
been nine and forty years together you may be to one another what we
are--you'll know--you'll have your eyes opened. Very well! Some people
can hold out bravely, she's done so. Very well--I haven't blabbed any
thing,--have I blabbed?"

Manna smiled amidst her tears at the odd, incomprehensible, and yet
affecti