"Curious people, those artists," thought Reinhold, while he seated himself again at his work. "What a fool you were to think that her heart could beat for any creature of flesh or blood, or, indeed, for anything but her Reaping Girl and Boy, if she has a heart at all." In the meantime Grollmann was standing undecided at the top of the staircase, before the door leading to his master's room. His conscience was not quite satisfied by Reinhold's assurance that he would take the responsibility on himself, if the master overslept himself. Should he go downstairs? should he go in? He must make up his mind; it was a quarter past nine. "If only something would occur to oblige me to wake him," said Grollmann. At that moment he heard the door open on the lower floor, and some one came up the stairs. Grollmann looked over the banisters; an officer--a general--the old General from over the way. "That is curious," thought Grollmann, and stood at attention, as was fitting in an old servant who had been a soldier. The General had come up the stairs. "I wish to speak to Herr Schmidt; will you announce me?" "It is not exactly his hour for receiving," said Grollmann; "and----" "Perhaps he will receive me, however, if you tell him that I have come on most important business; here is my card." "It is not necessary, General. I have the honour, General----" "Take the card, all the same." Grollmann held the card undecided in his hand; but, if the business was so important--and he could not very well send a general unceremoniously away. "Will you excuse me a minute. General?" The old man slipped through the door. The General looked gloomily around on the broad carpeted marble steps with their gilt banisters, on the dark, gilded folding-doors which led on three sides out of the gallery in which he stood, while the fourth wall, in which was the window, was decorated with magnificent plants; on the polished stucco walls, on the richly decorated ceiling. "I wish the man lived in a plainer house," murmured the General. "Will you step this way, sir?" Grollmann had his hand on the door. "He has not slept all night," he whispered, as if he must apologise for his master, who would probably not do so for himself. "I have not slept either," answered the General with a melancholy smile, as he walked with a firm, quiet step through the door, which the old man now opened and shut after him. CHAPTER XII.