"Ah, indeed? what is the matter with him?" Truyn asked in a tone of evident irritation. "His unfortunate circumstances are killing him," the doctor replied gloomily. "Ah--hm,--I must confess to you--er--my dear doctor, that--er--I take it very ill of Fritz, that he, er--accepted a position,--er--with--that,--er--adventurer." The old doctor looked the irritated gentleman full in the eyes. "When one is homesick and sees his children, who cannot bear the city air, hungering for bread, one will do many things, which could not be contemplated for an instant, under even slightly improved circumstances." "Ossi always told you ...." began Zinka. "Oh pshaw! Ossi is an enthusiast, whose heart is always drowning out his head." The old doctor sighed. "Well, I will intrude no longer," he said. He had often enough seen his noble patients yawn, as the door was closing upon him after a prolonged visit. "Not at all,--not at all--wait a moment; I must call the children; Gabrielle! Ossi!" The young people appeared from the garden-room. "Ah--it is the friend who saved my life," Gabrielle exclaimed, cordially extending her hand. Oswald too greeted him kindly, but suddenly he, as well as the old physician became slightly embarrassed--each remembered the unpleasant scene in the inn.--The conversation did not flow very freely. "Now, I really must go," the doctor insisted in some confusion. "Come soon again," said Truyn, shaking hands with him, "give my remembrance to Fritz, and--er--tell him to come and see me soon." He walked towards the court-yard with the old man, and when he returned he observed that Oswald, as he was silently rolling up a cigarette, was frowning furiously, evidently angry. "Where does the shoe pinch, Ossi?" he asked. "I cannot understand, uncle, how you can be so hard upon Fritz!" exclaimed Oswald throwing away his cigarette. "You are wont to be the softest-hearted of men, but to that poor devil ...." "Don't excite yourself so terribly," Truyn said kindly, but in some surprise at the young man's violence. How could he divine the disturbance of mind that was at the root of his indignation? "You are so irritable ...." "I am perfectly calm," Oswald boldly asserted, "only .... how could you send messages to Fritz by the doctor, and ask him to come to you? Have you no idea of his miserably sore state of mind?--and physically too he is so wretched that he cannot last six months longer; I have begged you to go and see him." "Papa! If Ossi begs you!" Gabrielle whispered, looking up at her father with the large pleading eyes of a child. "Ah, you can't understand how any one can possibly refuse Ossi anything," Truyn said, smiling in the midst of his annoyance. She blushed and cast down her eyes.