"A quarter to four already!"
"Is it so late?" But on seeing his disturbance, she added: "It will be
all right. Louise was never punctual in her life."
He did his best to look unconcerned, and they spoke of that evening's
ABENDUNTERHALTUNG, at which Furst was to play. But by the time the
clock struck four, Maurice had relapsed, in spite of himself, into
silence. Madeleine rallied him.
"You must make shift with my company, Maurice. Not but what I am sure
Louise will come. But you see from this what she is--the most
unreliable creature in the world."
To pass the time, she suggested that he should help her to make
tea, and they were both busy, when the electric bell in the passage
whizzed harshly, and the next moment there came a knock at the door.
But it was not Louise. Instead, two persons entered, one of whom was
Heinrich Krafft, the other a short, thickset girl, in a man's felt hat
and a closely buttoned ulster.
On recognising her visitors, Madeleine made a movement of annoyance,
and drew her brows together. "You, Heinz!" she said.
Undaunted by this greeting, Krafft advanced to her and, taking her
hands, kissed them, one after the other. He was also about to kiss her
on the lips, but she defended herself. "Stop! We are not alone."
"Just for that reason," said the girl in the ulster drily.
"What ill wind blows you here to-day?" Madeleine asked him.
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