Tell Anna not to let Hans grub the sugar – give him one on the ear.«

»Ugly – ugly – ugly,« muttered Sabina, returning to the café where the Young Man stood coat-buttoned, ready for departure.

»I'll come again to-morrow,« said he. »Don't twist your hair back so tightly; it will lose all its curl.«

»Well, you are a funny one,« she said. »Good night.«

By the time Sabina was ready for bed Anna was snoring. She brushed out her long hair and gathered it in her hands. ... Perhaps it would be a pity if it lost all its curl. Then she looked down at her straight chemise, and drawing it off, sat down on the side of the bed.

»I wish,« she whispered, smiling sleepily, »there was a great big looking-glass in this room.«

Lying down in the darkness, she hugged her little body.

»I wouldn't be the Frau for one hundred marks – not for a thousand marks. To look like that.«

And half dreaming, she imagined herself heaving up in her chair with the port wine bottle in her hand as the Young Man entered the café.

Cold and dark the next morning. Sabina woke, tired, feeling as though something heavy had been pressing under her heart all night. There was a sound of footsteps shuffling along the passage. Herr Lehmann! She must have overslept herself. Yes, he was rattling the door-handle.

»One moment, one moment,« she called, dragging on her stockings.

»Bina, tell Anna to go to the Frau – but quickly. I must ride for the nurse.«

»Yes, yes!« she cried. »Has it come?«

But he had gone, and she ran over to Anna and shook her by the shoulder.

»The Frau – the baby – Herr Lehmann for the nurse,« she stuttered.

»Name of God!« said Anna, flinging herself out of bed.

No complaints to-day. Importance – enthusiasm in Anna's whole bearing.

»You run downstairs and light the oven. Put on a pan of water« – speaking to an imaginary sufferer as she fastened her blouse – »Yes, yes, I know – we must be worse before we are better – I'm coming – patience.«

It was dark all that day. Lights were turned on immediately the café opened, and business was very brisk. Anna, turned out of the Frau's room by the nurse, refused to work, and sat in a corner nursing herself, listening to sounds overhead. Hans was more sympathetic than Sabina. He also forsook work, and stood by the window, picking his nose.

»But why must I do everything?« said Sabina, washing glasses. »I can't help the Frau; she oughtn't to take such a time about it.«

»Listen,« said Anna, »they've moved her into the back bedroom above here, so as not to disturb the people. That was a groan – that one!«

»Two small beers,« shouted Herr Lehmann through the slide.

»One moment, one moment.«

At eight o'clock the café was deserted. Sabina sat down in the corner without her sewing. Nothing seemed to have happened to the Frau. A doctor had come – that was all.

»Ach,« said Sabina. »I think no more of it. I listen no more. Ach, I would like to go away – I hate this talk. I will not hear it. No, it is too much.« She leaned both elbows on the table – cupped her face in her hands and pouted.

But the outer door suddenly opening, she sprang to her feet and laughed.