But Bernardine smiled and shook her head, and went to greet the others who crowded round them; and at last poor Catharina drew near too, holding Bernardine's hand lovingly within her own. Then Hans, Liza's lover, came upon the scene, and Liza told the Disagreeable Man that she and Hans were to be married in a month's time. And the Disagreeable Man, much to Bernardine's amazement, drew from his pocket a small parcel, which he confided to Liza's care. Every one pressed round her while she opened it, and found what she had so often wished for, a silver watch and chain. "Ach," she cried, "how heavenly! How all the girls here will envy me! How angry my dear friend Susanna will be!" Then there were the photographs to be examined. Liza looked with stubborn disapproval on the pictures of herself in her working-dress. But she did not conceal her admiration of the portraits which showed her to the world in her best finery. "Ach," she cried, "this is something like a photograph!" The Disagreeable Man grunted, but behaved after the fashion of a hero, claiming, however, a little silent sympathy from Bernardine. It was a pleasant, homely scene: and Bernardine, who, felt quite at her ease amongst these people, chatted away with them as though she had known them all her life. Then Frau Steinhart suddenly remembered that her guests needed some food, and Liza was despatched to her duties as cook; though it was some time before she could be induced to leave off looking at the photographs. "Take them with you, Liza," said the Disagreeable Man. "Then we shall get our meal all the quicker!" She ran off laughing, and finally Bernardine found herself alone with Catharina. "Liza is very happy," she said to Bernardine. "She loves, and is loved." "That is the greatest happiness," Bernardine said half to herself. "Fräulein knows?" Catharina asked eagerly. Bernardine looked wistfully at her companion. "No, Catharina," she said. "I have only heard and read and seen." "Then _you_ cannot understand," Catharina said almost proudly. "But _I_ understand!" She spoke no more after that, but took up her knitting, and watched Bernardine playing with the kittens. She was playing with the kittens, and she was thinking; and all the time she felt conscious that this peasant woman, stricken in mind and body, was pitying her because that great happiness of loving and being loved had not come into her life. It had seemed something apart from her; she had never even wanted it. She had wished to stand alone, like a little rock out at sea. And now? In a few minutes the Disagreeable Man and she sat down to their meal. In spite of her excitement, Liza managed to prepare everything nicely; though when she was making the omelette _aux fines herbes_, she had to be kept guarded lest she might run off to have another look at the silver watch and the photographs of herself in her finest frock!