ng
over to-morrow to drive me about the forest. His attitude while his
Colonel rattled on was very interesting: his punctilious attention, his
apparent obligation to smile when there were sallies demanding that
form of appreciation, his carefulness not to miss any indication of a
wish.

"Why do you do it?" I asked, when the Colonel was engaged for a moment
with the Oberforster indoors. "Isn't your military service enough?
Are you drilled even to your smiles?"

"To everything," he said. "Including our enthusiasms. We're like the
_claque_ at a theatre."

Then he turned and looked at me with those kind, surprising eyes of
his,--they're so reassuring, somehow, after his stern profile--and
said, "To-morrow I shall be a human being again, and forget all
this,--forget everything except the beautiful things of life."

Now I must leave off, because I want to iron out my white linen skirt
and muslin blouse for to-morrow, as it's sure to be hot and I may as
well look as clean as I can, so good-bye darling little mother. Oh, I
forgot to say how glad I am you like being at Glion. I did mean to
answer a great many things in your last letter, my little loved one,
but I will tomorrow. It isn't that I don't read and reread your
darling letters, it's that one has such heaps to say oneself to you.
Each time I write to you I seem to empty the whole contents of the days
I've lived since I last wrote into your lap. But to-morrow I'll answer
all your questions,--to-morrow evening, after my day with Herr von
Inster, then I can tell you all about it.

Good-bye till then, sweet mother.

Your Chris.

_Koseritz, Saturday evening, July 18, 1914.

My darling little mother,

See where I've got to! Who'd have thought it? Life is really very
exciting, isn't it. The Grafin drove over to Schuppenfelde this
afternoon, and took me away with her here. She said Kloster was coming
for Sunday from Heringsdorf to them, and she knew he would want to see
me and would go off to the Oberforsterei after me and leave her by
herself if I were at the Bornsteds', and anyhow she wanted to see
something of me before I went back to Berlin, and I couldn't refuse to
give an old lady--she isn't a bit old--pleasure, and heaps of gracious
things like that. Herr von Inster had brought a note from her in the
morning, preparing my mind, and added his persuasions to hers. Not
that I wanted persuading,--I thought it a heavenly idea, and didn't
ev