Yes, I’ll tell you all about it, Mrs. Lynge. Bernick had just proposed to Betty Tönnesen; and as he was coming, with her on his arm, into her aunt’s room to announce the engagement to her—— MRS. HOLT. The Tönnesens were orphans, you understand. MRS. RUMMEL. ——Lona Hessel rose from her chair, and gave the handsome, aristocratic Karsten Bernick a ringing box on the ear! MRS. LYNGE. Well, I never——! MRS. HOLT. Yes, every one knows it. MRS. RUMMEL. And then she packed up her traps and went off to America. MRS. LYNGE. She must have had designs upon him herself. MRS. RUMMEL. Yes, that was just it. She imagined he was going to propose to her as soon as he came home from Paris. MRS. HOLT. Just fancy her dreaming of such a thing! Bernick—a polished young man-of-the-world—a perfect gentleman—the darling of all the ladies—— MRS. RUMMEL. ——and so high-principled, too, Mrs. Holt—so moral. MRS. LYNGE. Then what has become of this Miss Hessel in America? MRS. RUMMEL. Well—over that, as Rummel once expressed it, there rests a veil which should scarcely be lifted. MRS. LYNGE. What does that mean? MRS. RUMMEL. Of course the family hears nothing from her now; but every one in town knows that she has sung for money in taverns over there—— MRS. HOLT. ——and has given lectures—— MRS. RUMMEL. ——and has published an utterly crazy book. MRS. LYNGE. Is it possible——? MRS. RUMMEL. Yes, Lona Hessel, too, is certainly a sun-spot in the Bernicks’ happiness. But now you know the whole story, Mrs. Lynge. Heaven knows, I have only told it to put you on your guard as to what you say. MRS. LYNGE. You may be quite easy on that point. But poor Dina Dorf! I really feel very sorry for her. MRS. RUMMEL. Oh, for her it was an absolute stroke of luck. Only think, if she had remained in her parents’ hands! Of course we all took an interest in her, and tried to instil good principles into her mind. At last Miss Bernick arranged that she should come and live here. MRS. HOLT. But she has always been a difficult girl to deal with—the effect of bad example, you know. Of course she is not like one of our own children—we have to make the best of her, Mrs. Lynge. MRS. RUMMEL. Hush, there she comes. [_Loud._] Yes, as you say, Dina is really quite a clever girl——What, are you there, Dina? We are just finishing our work here.