Up to this point Niebeldingk had striven to regard the whole business in a humorous light. It now began It now began to promise serious annoyance. He told the story at his club and the men laughed boisterously, but no one knew anything to the detriment of Miss Meta. She had been introduced by a lady who played small parts at a large theatre and important parts at a small one. The lady was called to account for her protegee. She refused to speak. "It's all the fault of those accursed Indian lilies," Niebeldingk grumbled one afternoon at his window as he watched the knight of various honourable orders parade the street as undaunted as ever. "Had I treated her with less delicacy, she would never have risked playing the part of an innocent victim." At that moment John announced Fritz von Ehrenberg. The boy came in dressed in an admirably fitting summer suit. He was radiant with youth and strength, victory gleamed in his eye; a hymn of victory seemed silently singing on his lips. "Well Fritz, you seem merry," said Niebeldingk and patted the boy's shoulder. He could not suppress a smile of sad envy. "Don't ask me! Why shouldn't I be happy? Life is so beautiful, yes, beautiful. Only you musn't have any dealings with women. That plays the deuce with one." "You don't know yourself how right you are," Niebeldingk sighed, looking out of the corner of an eye at the knight of several honourable orders who had now taken up his station in the shelter of the house opposite. "Oh, but I do know it," Fritz answered. "If I could describe to you the contempt with which I regard my former mode of life ... everything is different ... different ... so much purer ... nobler ... I'm absolutely a stoic now.... And that gives one a feeling of such peace, such serenity! And I have you to thank for it, Herr von Niebeldingk." "I don't understand that. To teach in the _stoa_ is a new employment for me." "Well, didn't you introduce me to that noble lady? Wasn't it you?" "Aha," said Niebeldingk. The image of Alice, smiling a gentle reproach, arose before him. In the midst of this silly and sordid business that had overtaken him, he had almost lost sight of her. More than a week had passed since he had crossed her threshold. "How is the dear lady?" he asked. "Oh, splendid," Fritz said, "just splendid." "Have you seen her often?" "Certainly," Fritz replied, "we're reading Marcus Aurelius together now." "Thank heaven," Niebeldingk laughed, "I see that she's well taken care of." He made up his mind to see her within the next hour. Fritz who had only come because he needed to overflow to some one with the joy of life that was in him, soon started to go. At the door he turned and said timidly and with downcast eyes. "I have one request to make----" "Fire away, Fritz! How much?" "Oh, I don't need money ... I'd like to have the address of your florist ...I'd like to send to the dear lady a bunch of the ... the Indian lilies."