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Rh the children did not live there, but their parents frequented this bar, and they were not to know anything about the Sunday-school, for they were Social Democrats, &hellip; She lost her head, and Diederich, who had only thought at first of his own guilty conscience, began to realise that Käthchen was in an even more suspicious position. He did not therefore, trouble to explain his presence in the "Green Angel." He simply proposed that they should wait for the children in the coffee room. Käthchen nervously refused to take anything, but out of a sense of his own powerfulness Diederich ordered beer for her also. "Your health!" he said, and his ironical look was a reminder that they had almost become engaged at their last meeting in the comfortable sitting-room of the manse. Beneath her veil Käthchen turned red and pale and spilled her beer. Every now and then she fluttered up helplessly from her chair and tried to go, but Diederich had shoved her into the corner behind the table and spread himself out in front of her. "The children should be here any moment," he said amiably. Instead it was Jadassohn who came. He entered suddenly and stood as if he had been struck dumb. The two others did not move either. "Oh, I see!" thought Diederich. Jadassohn seemed to come to a similar conclusion. Neither of the gentlemen spoke a word. Käthchen began again about children and Sunday-school. Her voice was beseeching and she was almost in tears. Jadassohn listened to her impatiently, and even remarked that some tales were too involved for him—and he gave Diederich an inquisitorial glance.

"After all," Diederich interposed, "it's very simple. Fräulein Zillich is looking for children here and we two are going to help her." "Whether she will get one is another matter," added Jadassohn smartly. "And also, who shall assist me," retorted Käthchen.

The gentlemen set down their glasses in front of them. Käthchen had stopped crying and, throwing back her veil, she looked from one to the other, with remarkably bright eyes.