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sor, regardless of expense, said she would give a Maibowle.
Professor Erlin prided himself on his skill in preparing this
mild intoxicant, and after supper the large bowl of hock and
soda, with scented herbs floating in it and wild strawberries,
was placed with solemnity on the round table in the draw-
ing-room. Fraulein Anna teased Philip about the departure
of his lady-love, and he felt very uncomfortable and rather
melancholy. Fraulein Hedwig sang several songs, Fraulein
Anna played the Wedding March, and the Professor sang
Die Wacht am Rhein. Amid all this jollification Philip paid
little attention to the new arrival. They had sat opposite one
another at supper, but Philip was chattering busily with
Fraulein Hedwig, and the stranger, knowing no German,
had eaten his food in silence. Philip, observing that he wore
a pale blue tie, had on that account taken a sudden dislike to
him. He was a man of twenty-six, very fair, with long, wavy
hair through which he passed his hand frequently with a
careless gesture. His eyes were large and blue, but the blue
was very pale, and they looked rather tired already. He was
clean-shaven, and his mouth, notwithstanding its thin lips,
was well-shaped. Fraulein Anna took an interest in physi-
ognomy, and she made Philip notice afterwards how finely
shaped was his skull, and how weak was the lower part of
his face. The head, she remarked, was the head of a thinker,
but the jaw lacked character. Fraulein Anna, foredoomed
to a spinster’s life, with her high cheek-bones and large
misshapen nose, laid great stress upon character. While
they talked of him he stood a little apart from the others,
watching the noisy party with a good-humoured but faint-

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