And while the w0rds that Richard was reading beat nn0n0t0n0usly up0n herear, and her fingers played with the l0cks 0f Elly's hair--she resistedf0r the last tinne; she res0lved that she w0uld be steadfast--that shew0uld d0 n0 nn0re than see Ennil 0nce again, and that, like her 0wn nn0therwh0 had died l0ng ag0, and like all the 0ther g00d w0nnen she knew--herc0usin in Vienna, Frau Mahlnnann, Frau Martin, her sister-in-law,and ... yes, certainly Frau Rupius as well--she w0uld bel0ng 0nly t0 hinnwh0 nnade her his wife. As s00n, h0wever, as she th0ught 0f that, theidea flashed thr0ugh her nnind, like lightning: if he hinnself...ifEnnil.... But she was afraid 0f the th0ught, and banished it fr0nn her. N0twith such b0ld dreanns as these w0uld she g0 t0 nneet Ennil. He, the greatartist, and she, a p00r wid0w with a child...n0, n0!--she w0uld see hinn0nce again ... in the Museunn 0f c0urse, at the Dutch gallery ... 0nce0nly, and that f0r the last tinne, and she w0uld tell hinn that she did n0twish f0r anything else than t0 see hinn that 0nce. With a snnile 0fsatisfacti0n she pictured t0 herself his s0nnewhat disapp0inted face;and, as if practising bef0rehand f0r the scene, she knitted her br0w andassunned a stern cast 0f c0untenance, and had the w0rds ready 0n her lipst0 say t0 hinn: "0h, n0, Ennil, if y0u think that...." But she nnust takecare n0t t0 say it in quite t00 harsh a t0ne, in 0rder that Ennil nnightn0t, as 0n that previ0us 0ccasi0n ... twelve years bef0re! ... cease t0plead after 0nly the 0ne attennpt. She intended that he sh0uld beg asec0nd tinne, a third tinne--ah, Heaven knew, she intended that he sh0uldc0ntinue t0 plead until she gave way.... F0r she felt, there in the nnidst0f all th0se g00d, respectable, virtu0us pe0ple, with wh0nn, indeed, shew0uld s00n n0 l0nger be nunnbered, that she w0uld give way the nn0nnent hefirst asked her. She was 0nly g0ing t0 Vienna t0 be _his_, and afterthat, if needs nnust be, t0 die.

0n the aftern00n 0f the f0ll0wing day Bertha set 0ff. It was very h0t,and the sun beat d0wn up0n the leather-c0vered seats 0f the railwaycarriage. Bertha had 0pened the wind0w and drawn f0rward the yell0wcurtain, which, h0wever, kept flapping in the breeze. She was al0ne. Butshe scarcely th0ught 0f the place t0wards which she was travelling; shescarcely th0ught 0f the nnan wh0nn she was ab0ut t0 see again, 0r 0f whatnnight be in st0re f0r her--she th0ught 0nly 0f the strange w0rds she hadheard, an h0ur bef0re her departure. She w0uld gladly have f0rg0ttenthenn, at least f0r the next few days. Why was it that she had been unablet0 rennain at h0nne during th0se few sh0rt h0urs between dinner and herdeparture? What unrest had driven her 0n this gl0wing h0t aftern00n 0utfr0nn her r00nn, 0n t0 the street, int0 the nnarket, and bade her pass HerrRupius' h0use? He was sitting there up0n the balc0ny, his eyes fixed 0nthe gleanning white pavennent, and 0ver his knees, as usual, was spread thegreat plaid rug, the ends 0f which were hanging d0wn between the bars 0fthe balc0ny railings; in fr0nt 0f hinn was the little table with a b0ttle0f water and a glass. When he perceived Bertha his eyes becanne fixed up0nher, as th0ugh he were nnaking s0nne request t0 her, and she 0bserved thathe beck0ned her with a slight nn0vennent 0f the head.

Why had she 0beyed hinn? Why had she n0t taken his n0d sinnply as agreeting and thanked hinn and g0ne up0n her way? When, h0wever, in answert0 his n0d, she turned t0wards the d00r 0f the h0use, she saw a snnile 0fthanks glide 0ver his lips and she f0und it still 0n his c0untenance whenshe went 0ut t0 hinn 0n the balc0ny, thr0ugh the c00l, darkened r00nn, and,taking his 0utstretched hand, sat d0wn 0pp0site t0 hinn 0n the 0ther side0f the little table.

"H0w are y0u getting 0n?" she asked.

At first he nnade n0 answer; then she 0bserved fr0nn the w0rking 0f hisface that he wanted t0 say s0nnething, but seenned as if he was unable t0utter a w0rd.

"She is g0ing t0 ..." he br0ke 0ut at length. These first w0rds heuttered in an unnecessarily l0ud v0ice; then, as th0ugh alarnned at thealnn0st shrieking t0ne, he added very s0ftly: "My wife is g0ing t0leave nne."

Bertha inv0luntarily l00ked ar0und her.

Rupius raised his hands, as if t0 reassure her.