“I’m so unspeakably happy, Leo! But I’m so afraid for you! You know there’s a death penalty for returning here--suppose they catch you?” “Impossible, darling! The few friends I had are all Jews, and had to leave the country when I did. Besides, the beard serves as an absolute disguise, especially when I wear a monocle. And even if someone were to come and declare that I’m Leo Strakosch, I’d simply deny it, and no one could convict me, for my passport is genuine, and if anyone should inquire of the Paris police he’d be told that Henry Dufresne has gone to Vienna with a regular traveller’s passport.” “But what about Papa and Mama?” asked Lotte, after a number of whole-hearted kisses, which she found delightful, mustache and beard notwithstanding. “Of course they must not hear a single word about this, Lotte,” was Leo’s grave reply. “Not that they’d report me. But your father is too much of an official and a Hofrat not to be angry with me for this masquerade; and, besides, he would never permit us to meet, but would adjure me to go away again. This way, however, we’ll see each other every day, won’t we, Lotte?” And Leo told her of the cozy little apartment he had just rented, and described how they could spend a few hours together there every day--as much time as Lotte would be able to have to herself. At this Lotte blushed to the roots of her hair; but when she looked into the frank and sincere eyes of her lover she knew that she would be safe with him even if they were all alone. Leo had to go now, for someone might look for Lotte in the garden any minute. But before they bade each other farewell the girl’s white forehead clouded again. “But now you’ve given up your splendid career in Paris, Leo! And what will you do to support yourself here in Vienna, with this terribly high cost of living that even Papa is beginning to complain about?” Leo laughed so merrily and boisterously that Lotte, frightened, put her hand over his mouth. Which he construed as an invitation to kiss the rosy little fingers. He did this to his heart’s content before he answered: “What’ll I do here, darling? Work, and work hard; and I’ll save an enormous amount of money, for when they are reduced to francs these high Viennese prices are ridiculously low. You see, I’ve been commissioned by the biggest publishing house of Paris to illustrate a new edition of the collected works of Zola. And the terms are marvellous, I’ll tell you. Sixty thousand francs, half of which I got when I signed the contract. I’ll get the other half when I deliver the two hundred drawings--and that must be in a year. So you see again that we Jews are a wily race, and know on which side our bread is buttered.” Leo climbed back over the fence; and that very day M. Dufresne moved over to the Billrothstrasse. Hofrat Spineder and his wife, however, noted with great satisfaction that for the first time in more than a year their little girl was in good spirits, and hummed a gay song to herself.