This suited Wolf, only he insisted upon having his own way about the
articles he had brought, and took them upstairs with him.

He would gladly have greeted the faithful nurse of his childhood at once,
yet it seemed like a fortunate dispensation that, through the old man's
delay below, his wish to have his first meeting with the woman he loved
without witnesses should be fulfilled.




CHAPTER IV.

In spite of the darkness and the zigzag turns of the stairs, Wolf was so
familiar with every corner of the old house that he did not even need to
grope his way with his hand.

He found the door of the Blomberg lodgings open. Putting down in the
anteroom whatever might be in his way while greeting Barbara, and
carrying the roll of velvet under his arm and a little box in his pocket,
he entered the chamber which the old man called his artist workshop. It
was in total darkness, but through the narrow open door in the middle of
the left wall one could see what was going on in Barbara's little bow-
windowed room. This was quite brightly lighted, for she was ironing and
crimping ruffs for the neck, small lace handkerchiefs, and cuffs.

The light required for this purpose was diffused by a couple of tallow
candles and also by the coals which heated the irons.

As she bent over the glow, it shone into her beautiful face and upon her