"It is right that you have come ... I am happy because you are here. And you must be happy too." With these words they reached the house, and Botho started to go into the large front room as usual. But Lena led him further along and said: "No. Frau Doerr is in there." "And is she still angry with us?" "Oh, no. I comforted her. But what do we want with her to-day? Come, it is such a beautiful evening and we want to be alone." Botho agreed, and so they went along the passage and across the yard to the garden. Sultan did not stir and only blinked at the two, as they followed the long middle path and then went over to the bench that stood between the raspberry bushes. They sat down on the bench. It was very still, only they could hear a chirping from the fields beyond and the moon was high above them. She leaned against him and said quietly and affectionately: "And so this is the last time that I shall hold your hand in mine?" "Yes, Lena. Can you forgive me?" "How can you always ask that? What have I to forgive?" "That I make your heart ache." "Yes, it aches. That is true." And she was silent again and looked up at the dim stars that were appearing in the sky. "What are you thinking of, Lena?" "How beautiful it would be if I were up there." "Do not speak so. You ought not to wish your life to be over; it is only a step from such a wish ..." She smiled. "No, not that. I am not like the girl who ran and threw herself into the well, because her sweetheart danced with some one else. Do you remember when you told me about that?" "But what do you mean then? It does not seem like you to say such a thing, just for the sake of talking." "No, I meant it seriously. And really" (she pointed up to the sky), "I should be glad to be there. Then I should be at peace. But I can wait.... And now come, let us walk out in the fields. I brought no wrap and I find it cold sitting still." And so they followed the same path through the fields that had led them the other time as far as the first houses of Wilmersdorf. The tower was plainly visible under the bright starry sky while a thin mist was drifting over the meadow land. "Do you remember," said Botho, "how we took this same walk with Frau Doerr?" She nodded. "That is why I proposed to come here; I was not chilly, or scarcely at all. Ah, that was such a beautiful day and I have never been so gay and happy, either before or afterwards. Even now my heart laughs, when I think how we walked along singing, 'Do you remember.' Yes, memory means so much--it means everything. And I have that and I can keep it and nothing can ever, take it away from me. And I can feel plainly how it will lighten my heart." He embraced her. "You are so good."