She disobeyed his injunction that very hour. She ran to Rosalie Katz, her friend _du jour_, to confess everything and relieve her feelings in tears. The little brown Jewess had a soft heart and was also head over heels in love with her teacher, and so the girls wept together. But they had forgotten to lock the door, and thus it happened that Mr. Katz, whose wealth and social position found pictorial expression in a round paunch, and whose waistcoat buttons consequently were always coming loose, entered his daughter's room to have one sewed on. When he discovered the girls in tearful embrace, he discreetly retired. But the instant Lilly had left the house, he extracted all the completer a confession from his daughter. He learned the story of the sick teacher, the abortive committee meetings, and the futile meringues glacés. "Well, we can fix that," he said with a smirk, twirling the very thin watch chain--heavy watch chains were worn only by those among the grain merchants who had remained below on the social scale--which branched out to the right and to the left from the third buttonhole of his waistcoat. A week later Dr. Mälzer received a registered letter from two strangers informing him that means had been found to enable him to make a lengthy sojourn in the south. All he needed to do was obtain leave of absence and draw the first payment at the office of Goldbaum, Katz & Co. He departed on a cold, crisp October evening. The faculty accompanied him to the station. Lilly and Rosalie, who had learned the time of his leaving at papa Katz's office, also were present, but they kept themselves in the background. He glided past them muffled in a thick scarf, his fiery eyes turned upon the distance. When the train left, the two girls flung themselves into each other's arms and wept for love and pride. On their way home Rosalie invited her friend to have an éclair with her, for it had grown too cold for meringues glacés. Half an hour later they were sitting in the confectionery shop smiling at each other and looking at the pictures in the illustrated papers. CHAPTER IV With the advent of spring a new and gayer existence began for Mrs. Czepanek. He was soon coming, that was certain. But even if the time was short, why spend it over that disgusting sewing? There was a less wearing way of making a living. The thing was simple enough--rent an apartment of nine rooms, buy the furniture on credit, and have a plate hung on the outside of the house inscribed: "Board and Lodging for Students." As for the rest, well, a way would be found. This little set of thoughts took exclusive possession of Mrs. Czepanek's poor brain, riddled like a sieve by the incessant whirr of the sewing-machine.