Heppner looked at him, astonished. Was all this irksome dependence on one of his subordinates, this degradation before the whole battery, really to come to an end? He could scarcely believe that any one could be so generous. But he could see that the one-year volunteer was in earnest, not simply making fun of him. "Yes, I promise you, Trautvetter," he said firmly. "I will not play any more." And for the moment he meant what he said; he felt that this was the right minute for making good resolutions and turning over a new leaf. Some days later Wegstetten asked him: "How is the one-year volunteer Trautvetter behaving? I have been quite pleased with him on duty these last few days." And Heppner answered: "He has been much more steady, sir; there has been no fault to find with him." The commander of the battery nodded, well pleased. "You see, sergeant," he said, "my plan has been a success. I think we will let him out of barracks again. You can tell him so." Trautvetter had also returned all his notes-of-hand to his other debtor, Trumpeter-sergeant Henke. The cornet-player did not feel constrained to any special feeling of gratitude for this. He had never had the smallest intention of repaying the money, some hedge-lawyer having advised him of the fact that gambling debts were not legally recoverable. Why therefore should he be grateful? Lisbeth, on the contrary, his pretty fair-haired wife, was profoundly touched by Trautvetter's generosity. "Dear, dear!" she sighed, "what a kind good man that volunteer must be, to give away such a lot of money!" The trumpeter laughed at her: "Silly goose!" he said, "haven't I told you that they were gambling debts, and he could never have claimed them?" "Well," remarked Lisbeth, "there were others too. Your new uniform was bought with the borrowed money, your beautiful patent leather shoes too, and half-a-dozen pairs of white gloves." Her husband did not care to remember this: "Hold your tongue!" he growled; but his pretty wife insisted: "No, no, he must be a good kind man!" "A drunken fat pig, that's what he is!" said Henke. "You can see that at a glance." "That's as may be," replied Lisbeth calmly; and she proceeded to set forth to her wondering husband a plan she had conceived for increasing the financial resources of the household. She would do fine washing and ironing for the one-year volunteers; and he, Henke, should arrange it with them. Henceforth the young wife spent her days over the wash-tub and the ironing-board. She found plenty to do; for the young men liked to have their things brought home by a lovely little person like the trumpeter's wife, in her neat fresh attire.