They would have to let the
subject drop.

The doctor, who had already taxed himself with stupidity in his
heart--oh dear, now he had aroused everybody's curiosity instead of
helping the Schliebens--heard the gentlemen pass on to politics with
great relief.

It was midnight before the last guests left the villa. Their bright
talk and laughter could still be heard distinctly from the end of the
street in the silence of the night, as husband and wife met at the foot
of the stairs leading up to the first floor.

All the windows of the lower rooms were still open, the silver was
still on the table, the costly china stood about--let the servants put
it away for the time being. Kate felt a great longing to see the child.
She had seen so little of him that day--there had been visitors the
whole day. And then what a number of questions she had had to listen
to, what a number of answers she had had to give. Her head was
burning.

As she and her husband met--the man was hurrying out of his room, he
had not even given himself time to lock away the cigars--she had to
laugh: aha, he wanted to go upstairs too. She hung on his arm and they
went up together keeping step.

"To Woelfchen," she said softly, pressing his arm. And he said, as
though excusing himself: "I shall have to see if the noise has not
awakened the boy."

They spoke in an undertone and moved along cautiously like thieves.
They stole into the nursery--there he lay, so quietly. He had thrown
off the covering in his sleep so that his naked rosy little legs were
visible, and a warm, strong and wonderfully fresh smell ascended from
the child's clean healthy body and mingled with the powerful odour of
the pines, that the night sent into the room through the slightly open
window.

Kate could not restrain herself, she bent down and kissed the little
knee that showed dimples in its firm roundness. As she looked up again,
she saw her husband's eyes fixed on the sleeping child with a
thoughtful expression.

She was so used to knowing everything that affected him, that she
asked, "What are you thinking of, Paul? Does anything trouble you?"

He looked at her absently for a few moments and then past her; he
was so lost in thought that he had not heard her question at all. At
last he murmured, "I wonder if it would not be better to be
open about it? Hm." Then he shook his head and thoughtfully stroked his
beard into a point.

"What are you saying? What do you mean? Pau