Page:H.M. The Patrioteer.djvu/128

120 that purely accidental fact. Besides, Fräulein Daimchen was already engaged.

"Oh, her!" sneered Käthchen. "That doesn't make any difference to her, she is such a shocking flirt."

The Pastor's wife also confirmed this. That very day she had seen Guste in patent-leather shoes and lilac-coloured stockings. That promised nothing good. Käthchen's lip curled.

"And then that inheritance of hers—"

This insinuation reduced Diederich to perturbed silence. The Pastor had just admitted to Jadassohn the necessity of discussing once again more fully with them the position of the Christian Church in Netzig. He asked his wife for his hat and coat. It was already dark on the staircase, and as the two others went in front Diederich had a chance to kiss Käthchen's neck again. She said languishingly: "Nobody in Netzig has a moustache that tickles like yours"—which flattered him at first, but immediately awoke in him painful suspicions. So he let her go and disappeared. Jadassohn was waiting for him downstairs and whispered: "Never say die! The old boy did not notice anything and the mother pretends not to." He winked impressively.

When they had passed St. Mary's Church the three men wanted to get to the market place, but the Pastor stood still and indicated something behind him with a movement of his head. "You gentlemen doubtless know the name of the alley to the left of the church round the corner. That dirty hole of an alley, or rather a certain house in it."

"Little Berlin," said Jadassohn, for the Pastor would not move on.

"Little Berlin," he repeated, laughing painfully, and again he shouted with a gesture of holy wrath, so that many people turned round: "Little Berlin &hellip; in the shadow of my church! Such a house! and the Town Council will not listen to me. They make fun of me. But they make fun of some one