"She's being provided for," he replied, unpleasantly affected, it seemed. He quickly opened another door.
"This leads to the store room, where the pieces are kept until sold, with the exception, of course, of those which are made to order."
Lilly looked down a dimly lighted corridor, from which the cold air blew upon her. On the shelves and stands stood endless rows of phantom beings, shapeless in their grey paper envelopes.
"Oh, how queer," said Lilly, shivering a little, and preparing to walk along the narrow passageway. The very same instant, however, she noticed her friend start as in fright, and cast a helpless look about him. Then he stepped in front of her and blocked the way.
"What's the matter?" asked Lilly, surprised.
"We had better not go in there. We'll go somewhere else. Besides, there's nothing to look at there, not a thing. You yourself see there isn't."
He planted himself squarely in front of her, so that she could not possibly look down the long line of shelves.
This, of course, merely heightened her curiosity.
"But I would like to," she said, and assumed the over-bearing, haughty expression with which she was wont to get her way with him.
"No, no," he burst out hastily. "It's a business secret. I mayn't betray it to a soul. Even the employés are not allowed to come here. Really I can't permit it."
"Then you shouldn't have brought me here at all," said Lilly, feeling insulted; and she turned back.
He poured forth excuses, grew hoarse with excitement, and coughed and choked. Then he led her back over the resplendent mosaic of the yard to the gateway with its imitation marble columns, through which a chilly draught was blowing.
"You will catch a cold," said Lilly to hasten her departure.
His face lighted up with a brilliant idea.
"Besides, you know," he said, "the store room wasn't heated."
"You should have thought of that sooner," rejoined Lilly, holding out her hand with a smile of partial reconciliation. She was really sorry for him in his helpless solicitude.
Nevertheless she continued to feel hurt. And a bit disturbed. The day she had been looking forward to so happily for months had ended in a discord.
And no matter how much she pressed him later, Mr. Dehnicke refused to tell her what mystery lay concealed in his store room.