the outer door opened softly, and then closed from the inside. She blew
out her light and gently opened her bed-room door. The moon lighted up the
passageway with a faint beam. Some one came stealing up the staircase with
noiseless steps. She saw that it was Dietrich. He went cautiously into his
room and closed his door.

Veronica shut her door, and sat down upon her bed. All the blood seemed to
rush to her heart and she could not stir. She knew in a moment that
Dietrich, whom she had believed to be asleep long ago, had been visiting
in secret the hated Rehbock. She sat some minutes motionless on her bed,
in a kind of dull pain. Then she arose slowly, lighted her lamp again,
took out her work and with nervous fingers drove on her needle, which flew
faster and faster through the white cloth. She did not sleep at all that
night.

Nor did Dietrich fall asleep easily. His thoughts were busy and he could
not come to any decision. What should he do?

If he could become rich at once, without working any more, why shouldn't
he do it? Would it be best to consult his mother? No, that would upset
everything. He was sure that his mother was too firmly wedded to the old
ideas about ways of getting a living, to listen to any new-fangled methods
of making money without work.

And Veronica?

Certainly not Veronica, who valued work above everything, and who indeed
loved it so well, that she could not imagine that any one should ever wish
to escape it.