I had the somewhat valueless satisfaction of knowing a blessed sight more about the matter than he and all of his bloodhounds put together. I could well afford to laugh, but under the extremely harassing conditions it was far from possible for me to get fat. As a matter of fact, it seemed to me that I was growing thinner. Mrs. Betty Billy Smith, toward the end of her visit, dolefully--almost tearfully--remarked upon my haggard appearance. She was very nice about it, too. I liked her immensely. It did not require half an eye to see that she was thoroughly sick of the baron and Mr. Pless. She was really quite uncivil to them toward the end. At last there came a day of deliverance. The guests were departing and I can truthfully say that I was speeding them. Elsie Hazzard took me off to a remote corner, where a little later on Betty Billy and the two husbands found us. "John, will you ever forgive me?" she said very soberly. "I swear to you I hadn't the faintest idea what it--" "Please, please, Elsie," I broke in warmly; "don't abuse yourself in my presence. I fully understand everything. At least, _nearly_ everything. What I can't understand, for the life of me, is this: how did you happen to pick up two such consummate bounders as these fellows are?" "Alas, John," said she, shaking her head, "a woman never knows much about a man until she has lived a week in the same house with him. Now _you_ are a perfect angel." "You've always said that," said I. "You did not have to live in the same house with me to find it out, did you?" She ignored the question. "I shall never, never forgive myself for this awful week, John. We've talked it all over among ourselves. We are ashamed--oh, so terribly ashamed. If you can ever like us again after--" "Like you!" I cried, taking her by the shoulders. "Why, Elsie Hazzard, I have never liked you and George half so much as I like you now. You two and the Smiths stand out like Gibraltars in my esteem. I adore all of you. I sha'n't be happy again until I know that you four--and no more--are coming back to Schloss Rothhoefen for an indefinite stay. Good Lord, how happy we shall be!" I said it with a great deal of feeling. The tears rushed into her eyes. "You _are_ a dear, John," she sighed. "You'll come?" "In a minute," said she with vehemence, a genuine American girl once more. "Just as soon as these pesky workmen are out of the place, I'll drop you a line," said I, immeasurably exalted. "But I draw the line at noblemen." "Don't worry," she said, setting her nice little white teeth. "I draw it too. Never again! _Never_!" It occurred to me that here was an excellent opening for a bit of missionary work. Very pointedly I said to her: "I fancy you are willing to admit now that she wasn't such a simpleton for leaving him." She went so far as to shudder, all the time regarding me with dilated eyes. "I can't imagine anything more dreadful than being that man's wife, John."