"And Klaus sat at his writing-desk and wrote to Anna Maria. 'Do you think she will come?' he asked as he came in again. He had sent a special messenger to E---- with the letter to his sister. 'Will she come?'
"The messenger was gone three days; then he returned with a letter from Anna Maria. Heartfelt words it contained, here and there half blotted out by tears. She would come soon, she wrote, come soon--in a week or two, perhaps--but would it be right to Susanna?
"I was sitting by the bed of the young wife as Klaus came into the room with this letter. She was holding the small bundle of lace in her arms. Isa had had to adorn the young gentleman's toilet to-day with blue ribbons. Susanna played with him as if he were a doll, and wanted to know what color would best suit the young prince. She was so merry and pretty about it, and laughed so heartily when the little thing made a queer, wry face.
"'Oh, see, just see!' she called to her husband. 'Who does he look like now? Only look!' Of course we stood in dutiful admiration and looked at the little creature. But Brockelmann, who was just going through the room, said: 'Ah, I have seen it from the first moment. He has a real Hegewitz face; he looks most like his aunt, Anna Maria.'
"Susanna started up as if the greatest injury had been done her. 'It is not true!' she whispered, and kissed the child. But Klaus had heard it, nevertheless; he had grown very red, and slowly put the folded letter in his pocket, and an expression of disappointment passed over his face. He sat down by Susanna and kissed her hand, but did not mention his sister's name.
"What Klaus wrote in reply to Anna Maria I never learned; but he said: 'Anna Maria is always right; it was well that she did not come immediately, as I wished.'
"And three weeks more passed. Susanna already walked up and down on the gay mosaic pavement of the terrace occasionally, and Isa walked about in the sunny garden with the blue-veiled child. Then one rainy evening, about six o'clock, a slender woman's figure walked into my dim room.
"'Anna Maria!' I cried joyfully; 'my dear old child, are you really here again?'
"She put her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder. 'Yes, aunt,' she said softly, and I felt her heart beat violently. 'Yes--but now take care that I may greet Klaus first alone; we have so much to say to each other!'