Although he stood there dry under the portico roof, there was established, not quite ineptly, a comparison between him and a wet poodle, who has had a bucketful of water thrown on his head; but the cold shower-bath had really done him good. Without knowing exactly why, he felt that he was breathing much more easily. In that, of course, the change of tone at the end of the sermon—for the speaker sat as if in a pulpit-chair—might have helped especially; at least thereat a transfigured light appeared in his eyes, such as awakened hope for salvation through faith produces in the eyes of an ardently affected church-attendant; and as the rebuke was now over, and there seemed no necessity for fearing a further continuation, he succeeded in saying, “Yes, now I recognize—no, you have not changed at all—it is you, Zoë—my good, happy, clever comrade—it is most strange——” “That a person must die to become alive again; but for archæologists that is of course necessary.” “No, I mean your name——” “Why is it strange?” The young archæologist showed himself familiar with not only the classical languages, but also with the etymology of German, and continued, “Because Bertgang has the same meaning as Gradiva and signifies ‘the one splendid in walking.’” Miss Zoë Bertgang’s two sandal-like shoes were, for the moment, because of their movement, reminiscent of an impatiently see-sawing wagtail waiting for something; yet the possessor of the feet which walked so magnificently seemed not at present to be paying any attention to philological explanations; by her countenance she gave the impression of being occupied with some hasty plan, but was restrained from it by an exclamation of Norbert Hanold’s which audibly emanated from deepest conviction, “What luck, though, that you are not Gradiva, but are like the congenial young lady!” That caused an expression as of interested surprise to pass over her face, and she asked, “Who is that? Whom do you mean?” “The one who spoke to you in Meleager’s house.” “Do you know her?” “Yes, I had already seen her. She was the first person who seemed especially congenial to me.” “So? Where did you see her?” “This morning, in the House of the Faun. There the couple were doing something very strange.” “What were they doing?” “They did not see me and they kissed each other.” “That was really very reasonable, you know. Why else are they in Pompeii on their wedding trip?”