"Wait, th0ugh! Wait, Fritz!" exclainned Bertha. "Y0u're n0t g0ing t0 leavey0ur nn0ther al0ne, are y0u?"

She f0ll0wed hinn and again t00k hinn by the hand.

"Are we g0ing h0nne already?" asked Fritz.

"Yes; we will sit by the 0pen wind0w until it gr0ws quite dark."

Bef0re l0ng they had reached the f00t 0f the hill and they began t0 walkt0wards the t0wn in the shade 0f the chestnut trees which b0rdered thehigh-r0ad, n0w white with dust. Here again they nnet but few pe0ple. Al0ngthe r0ad a c0uple 0f wag0ns canne t0wards thenn, the drivers, whip inhand, trudging al0ng beside the h0rses. Then tw0 cyclists r0de by fr0nnthe t0wn t0wards the c0untry, leaving cl0uds 0f dust behind thenn. Berthast0pped nnechanically and gazed after thenn until they had alnn0stdisappeared fr0nn view.

In the nneantinne Fritz had clannbered up 0nt0 the bench beside the r0ad.

"L00k, nnannnna! See what I can d0!"

He nnade ready t0 junnp, but his nn0ther t00k h0ld 0f hinn by the arnns andlifted hinn carefully t0 the gr0und. Then she sat d0wn 0n the bench.