eft, while
the others sauntered off to the right.

Hans and Tonio had time to go walking after school, because they both
belonged to houses in which dinner was not eaten until four o'clock.
Their fathers were great merchants who held public offices and were a
power in the city. For many a generation the Hansens had owned the
extensive lumber yards down along the river, where mighty steam saws
cut up the logs amid buzzing and hissing. And Tonio was Consul Kroeger's
son, whose grain sacks were carted through the streets day after day,
with the broad black trade mark on them; the big ancient house of his
ancestors was the most princely of the whole town. The two friends had
to take off their caps constantly, because of their many acquaintances,
and indeed these fourteen-year-old boys did not always have to bow
first.

Both had hung their school-bags over their shoulders, and both were
dressed warmly and well; Hans in a short seaman's jacket, over the
shoulders and back of which lay the broad blue collar of his sailor
suit, Tonio in a gray belted top-coat. Hans wore a Danish sailor's cap
with short ribbons, a tuft of his flaxen hair peeping out from under
it. He was extraordinarily handsome and well formed, broad of shoulder
and narrow of hip, with unshaded, keen, steel-blue eyes. From under
Tonio's round fur cap, on the other hand, there looked out of a swarthy
face, with very clearly marked southern features, dark and delicately
shaded eyes under excessively heavy lids, dreamy and a trifle timid.
Mouth and chin were both fashioned with uncommonly soft lines. He
walked carelessly and unevenly, whereas Hans's slender legs in their
black stockings moved so elastically and rhythmically.

Tonio did not speak. He was grieved. Drawing together his rather
slanting eyebrows, and holding his lips pursed for whistling, he looked
into space with his head on one side. This attitude and expression were
peculiar to him.

Suddenly Hans thrust his arm under that of Tonio with a sidelong glance
at him, for he understood quite well what the matter was. And although
Tonio persisted in silence during the next few steps, yet he was all at
once amazingly softened.

"You know I hadn't forgotten, Tonio," said Hans, looking down at the
walk before him, "but I simply thought probably nothing could come of
it today, because it's so wet and windy, you know. But that doesn't
bother me at all, and I think it's fine that you waited for me in spite