"You are a man, you see!" "Yes--but what do you mean by that?" "I mean that certainly you must have loved many women." "Loved ... loved ... yes, I suppose I have." "But I," she broke out with animation, as though the truth was too strong to be restrained within her; "I have loved no one but you." He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "I think we might rather leave that undecided, though," he said. "Look, I have brought some violets with me for you." He smiled. "Are they to prove that you have told me the truth? Anybody would think, from the way in which you said that, that you have done nothing else since we last met but pluck, or, at least, buy, violets for me. However, many thanks! But tell me, why didn't you want to get into the carriage?" "Oh, but you know, a walk is so nice." "But we can't walk forever.... We are having supper together, though?" "Yes, I shall be delighted--for instance, here in an hotel," she added hastily. At that time they were walking through quieter streets, and it was growing dusk. Emil laughed. "Oh, no, we will arrange things a little more cosily than that." Bertha cast her eyes down. "However, we mustn't sit at the same table as strangers," she said. "Certainly not. We will even go somewhere where there is nobody else at all." "What are you thinking of?" she asked. "I don't do that sort of thing!" "Just as you please," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Have you an appetite yet?" "No, not at all." They were both silent for a time. "Shall I not make the acquaintance of your boy some day?" he asked. "Certainly," she replied, greatly pleased; "whenever you wish." She began to tell him about Fritz, and then went on to speak about her family. Emil threw in a question at times, and soon he knew all that happened in the little town, even down to the efforts of Klingemann, of which Bertha gave him an account, laughingly, but with a certain satisfaction. The street lamps were alight; the rays glittered on the damp pavements. "My dear girl, we can't stroll about the streets all night, you know," said Emil suddenly. "No ... but I cannot come with you ... into a restaurant.... Just think, if I should happen to meet my cousin or anyone else!" "Make your mind easy, no one will see us." Quickly he passed through a gateway and closed the umbrella. "What are you going to do, then?" She saw a large garden before her. Near the walls, from which canvas shelters were stretched, people were sitting at tables, laid for supper. "There, do you mean?" "No. Just come with me." Immediately on the right of the gate was a small door, which had been left ajar. "Come in here." They found themselves in a narrow, lighted passage, on both sides of which were rows of doors. A waiter bowed and went in front of them, past all the doors. The last one he opened, allowed the guests to enter, and closed it again after them.