The little group of servants returned to the courtyard behind the
high gates. Muller, whom they had not noticed, was about to resume
his walk, when he halted again. The courtyard of the house led back
through a flagged walk to the park-like garden that surrounded it
on the sides and rear. Down this walk came a young woman. She came
so quickly that one might almost call it running. She was evidently
excited about something. Muller imagined what this something might
be, and he remained to hear what she had to say. He was not
mistaken. The woman, it was Mrs. Schmiedler, the gardener's wife,
began her story at once. "Haven't you heard yet?" she said
breathlessly. "No, you can't have heard it yet or you wouldn't
stand there so quietly, Mrs. Bernauer."

"What's the matter?" asked the woman whom Muller took to be the
housekeeper.

"They killed a man last night out here! They found his body just
now in the lane back of our garden. The janitor from No.1 told me
as I was going to the store, so I went right back to look at the
place, and I came to tell you, as I didn't think you'd heard it yet."

Mrs. Bernauer was evidently a woman of strong constitution and of
an equable mind. The other three servants broke out into an
excited hubbub of talk while she remained quite indifferent and
calm. "One more poor fellow who had to leave the world before he
was ready," she remarked calmly, with just the natural touch of
pity in her voice that would come to any warm-hearted human being
upon hearing of such an occurrence. She did not seem at all
excited or alarmed to think that the scene of the crime had been
so near.