CHAPTER XV

methinghere?Yourheadmustacheaftercryingsomuch.Youhavebaptisedournewlifewithtears.Ihopeitisagoodomen." "Oh,Iwillcomedown.Youwilldoasyoupromised,willyounot,andforbidthePenheimtogossip?" "Ishalltelltheprincessyourwishes." "Or,ifshemustgossip,lethertellthetruthatleast.IfmysonhadnotpressedmetocomehereIreallydonotthink——" AnnawentslowlyandmeditativelydownthepassagetoFr?uleinKuhr?uber'sroom.ForamomentshethoughtofomittingthislastvisitaltogethershewasafraidlesttheFr?uleinshouldbeinsomeunlooked-forandperplexingconditionofmind.Discouraged?Ohnoshewassurelynotdiscouragedalready.Howhadthewordcomeintoherhead?Shequickenedhersteps.Whenshereachedthedoorsherememberedthecupandthesugar-tongs.Perhapssomethinginthebedroomwasalreadybroken,andtheFr?uleinwouldbedisclosedsittingintheruinsintears,forshewasunexpectedlylarge,andthecontentsofherroomwerefrail.Butthenwoeofthatsortwasaseasilyassuagedasbrokenfurniturewasmended.ItwasthemorecomplicatedgriefofFrauvonTreumannthatshefeltunabletosoothe.Astothat,shepreferrednottothinkaboutitatpresent,andbarricadedherthoughtsagainstitsimagewiththatconsolingsentence,Toutcomprendrec'esttoutpardonner.Itwasasentenceshewasfondofbutshehadnotexpectedthatshewouldneeditsreassurancesosoon. Sheopenedthedoor,andthepuckerssmoothedthemselvesoutofherforeheadatonce,forhere,atlast,waspeace.Therehadbeennodifficultiesherewithbells,andstraps,andMarie.ThetrunkshadbeenopenedandunpackedwithoutassistanceandwhenAnnacameinthecontentswereallputawayandFr?uleinKuhr?uber,washedandcombedandinherSundayblouse,wassittinginaneasychairbythewindowabsorbedinabook.Satisfactionwaswrittenbroadlyonherfacecontentwasexpressedbyeverylazylineofherattitude.WhenshesawAnna,shegotupandmadeacurtseyandbeamed.ThebeamswereinstantlyreflectedinAnna'sface,andtheybeamedateachother. "Well,"saidAnna,whofeltperfectlyathereasewiththismemberofhertrio,"areyouhappy?" Fr?uleinKuhr?uberblushed,andbeamedmorethanever.ShewasfarlessshyofAnnathanshewasofthosetwoterribleadeligeDamen,hertravellingcompanionsbutatnotimehadshehadmuchconversation.Hershadbeenaruminativeexistence,foritsuncertaintybutrarelydisturbedher.Hadshenotanexcellentdigestion,andafixedbeliefthattherighteous,ofwhomshewasone,wouldneverbeforsaken?Andarenotthesetheprimaryconditionsofhappiness?Indeed,ifeverythingelseiswanting,thesetwoingredientsbythemselvesaresufficientfortheconcoctionofaverypalatablelife. "Youhavefoundaninterestingbookalready?"Annaasked,pleasedthattheliteraturechosenwithsuchcareshouldhavemetwithinstantappreciation.Shetookituptoseewhatitwas,butputitdownagainhastily,foritwasthecookerybook. "Ireadmuch,"observedFr?uleinKuhr?uber. "Yes?"saidAnna,aflickerofhoperevivinginherheart.Perhapsthecookerybookwasanaccident. "Iknowbyheartmorethanahundredrecipesforsweetdishesalone." "Really?"saidAnna,theflickerexpiring. "SoyoucanhaveanideaofthenumberofbooksIhaveread." "Hereareagreatmanymoreforyoutoread." "Achja,achja,"saidFr?uleinKuhr?uber,glancingdoubtfullyattheshelves"butonemustnotwastetoomuchtimeoverit—thereareotherthingsinlife.Ireadonlyusefulbooks." "Well,thatisverypraiseworthy,"saidAnna,smiling."Ifyoulikecookerybooks,Imustgetyousomemore." "Howgoodyouare—howvery,verygood!"saidtheFr?ulein,gazingatthecharmingfigurebeforeherwithheartfeltadmirationandgratitude."Thisbeautifulroom—Icannotlookatitenough.Icannotbelieveitisreallyforme—formetosleepinandbeinwheneverIchoose.WhathaveIdonetodeserveallthis?" Whathadshedone,indeed?Shehadnotevenbeenunhappy,althoughofcourseshehadhadeveryopportunityofbeingso,sentfromplacetoplace,fromoneindignantHausfrautoanother,eversincesheleftschool.ButAnna,persuadedthatshehadrescuedherfromdepthsofunspeakabledespair,wasoverjoyedbythisspeech."Don'ttalkaboutdeserving,"shesaidtenderly."Youhavehadsuchalifethatifyouweretobehappynowwithoutstoppingonceforthenextfiftyyearsitwouldonlybejustandright." Fr?uleinKuhr?uber'sapprovalofthissentimentwassoentirethatsheseizedAnna'shandandkisseditfervently.Annalaughedwhilethiswasgoingon,andhereyesgrewbrighter.Shehadnotwantedgratitude,butnowthatithadcomeitwasveryencouragingafterall,andverywarming.SheputonearmimpulsivelyroundtheFr?ulein'sneckandkissedher,andthiswaspracticallythefirstkissthatladyhadeverreceived,fortheperfunctoryembracesofreluctantlydutifulauntscanhardlybecalledbythatprettyname. "Now,"saidAnna,withahappylaugh,"wearegoingtobefriendsforever.Come,letusgodown.Thatwasthesupperbell." Andtheywentdownstairstogether,appearinginthedoorwayofthedrawing-roomarminarm,asthoughtheyhadlovedeachotherforyears. "Asthoughtheyweretwins,"mutteredthebaronesstoFrauvonTreumann,whoshruggedoneshoulderslightlybywayofreply.