"I hope so," I answered. "What is the matter, Riki?" Her eyes were full of tears; she hastily put up her handkerchief and wiped them away. "There is no doubt," she said, "that you English are allowed liberties unheard-of for a German girl like me. I would beg of you to do me a great favour. I have been thinking of what you said the other day about this so great liberty of the English maidens, and the great extension of years which to them is permitted." "Yes, yes?" I said, and as I spoke I glanced at the gilt clock on the chiffonier. "You are in so great a hurry, are you not?" asked Riki. "I want to finish my letter." "And you will perhaps post it; is it not so?" "Yes; I am going out with Hermione and Mademoiselle Wrex." "You are going, perhaps, to shops to buy things?" "Yes. Do you want me to bring you in some chocolates?" "Oh! that would be vare nice; but if you would, with your own letter, put this into the post also?" As she spoke she gave me a letter addressed in the somewhat thin and pointed hand which most German girls use, and which I so cordially detested. "It is to Heinrich," she said. "I wouldn't ask you; but your heart is warm, and--he suffers." "But why should I post it? Will you not take it downstairs and put it with the other letters in the letter-box?" The delicate colour flew to her cheeks; her eyes were brighter than usual. "Heinrich would not then receive it," she answered. "You will post it-- it is necessaire for him that he gets it soon; he is in need of comfort. You will, will you not?" I really hardly thought about the matter. I did not know why, but it did not occur to me that Riki was asking me to do anything underhand or outside the rules. She laid the letter on the table and flew away. I had just finished my own; I put it into an envelope and addressed it, and taking Riki's letter also, I put on my outdoor things and went downstairs to meet Hermione and Mademoiselle Wrex. It was now a very bitter day in March. We had been at school for two months. The time had flown. I was a healthy and very happy girl. Mademoiselle Wrex said, "We must walk quickly to keep ourselves warm in this so bitter north-east wind." We all walked quickly, with our hands in our muffs, and as we were passing a pillar-box I dropped the letters in. "Now that is off my mind," I thought, with a sigh of relief. "How did you manage to write two letters?" asked Hermione. "You were in such a fearful fuss getting through your one!" I made no answer. Something the next moment distracted our attention, and we absolutely forgot the circumstance.