CHAPTER XIV

nKuhr?uberwastheonewhostaredleast.IfshecaughtAnna'seyeherowndrooped,whereastheeyesoftheothertwoneverwavered.ShesatontheedgeofherchairinawaymadefamiliartoAnnabyintercoursewithFrauManske,andwhateveranybodysaidshenoddedherheadandmurmured"Ja,eben."Shewasobviouslyillatease,anddroppedthesugar-tongswhenshewasofferedsugarwithaloudclatterontothevarnishedfloor,nearlysweepingthecupsoffthetableinherefforttopickthemupagain. "Oh,donotmind,"saidAnna,"Lettywillpickthemup.Theyarestupidthings—muchtoobigforthesugar-basin." "Ja,eben,"saidFr?uleinKuhr?uber,sittingupandlookingperturbed.TheothertworemovedtheireyesfromAnna'sfaceforamomenttostareattheFr?ulein.Thebaroness,asmall,fairpersonwithhairarrangedinthoselittleflatcurlscalledkiss-me-quicksoneachcheek,andwide-openpaleblueeyes,andalittlemouthwithnolips,orlipssothinthattheywerehardlyvisible,satverystillandstraight,andhadawayofmovinghereyesroundfromonefacetotheotherwithoutatthesametimemovingherhead.Shewasunmarried,andwasprobablyaboutthirty-five,Annathought,butshehadalwaysevadedquestionsinthecorrespondenceaboutherage.Fr?uleinKuhr?uberwasalsothirty-five,andaslargeandbloomingasthebaronesswassmallandpale.FrauvonTreumannwasoverfifty,andhadhadmoresorrows,judgingfromherletters,thantheothertwo.ShesatnearestAnna,whoeverynowandthenlaidherhandgentlyonhersandletitrestthereamoment,inherdeterminationtothawallfrostfromtheverybeginning."Oh,Iquiteforgot,"shesaidcheerfully—theamountofcheerfulnesssheputintohervoicemadeherlaughatherself—"Iquiteforgottointroduceyoutoeachother." "Wediditatthestation,"saidFrauvonTreumann,"whenwefoundourselvesallenteringyourcarriage." "TheElmreichsareconnectedwiththeTreumanns,"observedthebaroness. "Wearesuchalargefamily,"saidFrauvonTreumannquickly,"thatweareconnectedwithnearlyeverybody." Thetonewascold,andtherewasasilence.Neitherofthem,apparently,wasconnectedwithFr?uleinKuhr?uber,whoburiedherfaceinhercup,inwhichthetea-spoonremainedwhileshedrank,andheartilylongedforconnections. Butshehadnone.Shewasabsolutelywithoutrelationsexceptdeceasedones.Shehadbeenanorphansinceshewastwo,caredforbyheroneaunttillshewasten.Theauntdied,andshefoundarefugeinanorphanagetillshewassixteen,whenshewastoldthatshemustearnherbread.Shewasalazygirleveninthosedays,wholikedeatingherbreadbetterthanearningit.Nomore,however,beingforthcomingintheorphanage,shewentintoapastor'sfamilyasStützederHausfrau.TheseStütze,orsupports,arecommoninmiddle-classGermanfamilies,wheretheysupportthemistressofthehouseinallhermanifoldduties,cooking,baking,mending,ironing,teachingoramusingthechildren—beinginshortacomfortandblessingtoharassedmothers.ButFr?uleinKuhr?uberhadnotalentwhateverforcomfortingmothers,andshewasquicklyrequestedtoleavethebusyandpopulousparsonagewhereuponsheenteredu