"Oh, indeed," he laughed, and shook his finger at her, "not quite so far as that yet. You are not in such a hurry to become housewives, are you, children?" Hertha drew herself rigidly erect. Her lips trembled with anger. "I like work," she said, "and people who scoff at it are those who have forgotten the way to work." He put down his coffee-cup, which had been halfway to his mouth, in sheer amazement, and stared at her silently for a moment. Then he said-- "Upon my soul! You seem to be a snappish little lady. I must take care in future." Grandmamma now came to the rescue. Anxiously she took the girl's head between her dear old hands. "She doesn't mean it," she said, and smoothed her over eyes and mouth, as if she would fain have wiped out the naughty speech. Hertha was sorry with a feeling of dull regret; but she would rather have bitten her tongue out than let a word of apology pass her lips. Conversation did not flow easily again, and Hertha, before she had emptied her second cup of coffee, ran off as if she were a hunted animal. When she reached her room, everything seemed to swim before her in a damp mist. She went to her glass and said to herself, "I really didn't mean to be rude." Elly came after her. She scarcely knew at first what to say as she stood there in her finery, looking so round and pretty with her pink cheeks and innocent blue eyes. At last she said-- "You were simply odious. I could never have been so odious;" and she glanced down lovingly at her ribbon bows. VI Leo stayed alone with his mother. The morning sunlight danced on the coffee table's snowy damask, the silver hot-water kettle hummed and hissed, and the smoke from Leo's cigar rose lightly in transparent rings to the ceiling. "I don't know how it is," said the old lady, sighing and stroking back the wavy grey hair from her forehead, "it may be wrong of me, but I can't be as happy this morning as I ought to be. First it is one thing and then another." "Never mind, little mother," he said; "it will soon be all right. My goods have certainly been squandered.... No, no, I don't blame you for it. If any one's to blame, I am. What did I keep away so long for? Ulrich wrote strongly enough. But I was an ass and would not heed. There's time yet, thank God! I have not unlearnt the way to work, as that shrewish little girl hinted just now." "You are unjust to her," the mother said, defending Hertha hotly. "One should not take everything young girls say too literally. You should look into their hearts instead. And this young heart, Leo, I know for a fact, is full of you--you alone and no other." "How do I come to be so honoured?" he asked with a laugh. She made an arch grimace and laid her hand caressingly on his. "You know what her position is? When Johanna's husband died--I don't want to say anything against him--his soul may rest in peace--but----"