suit, and he asked himself whether it was not unseemly to go about
during the whole week in Sunday clothes. After all he was but an
ordinary, commonplace person with whom he was well content, and he
came to the conclusion that he had a better chance of living in peace
with himself if he lived a simple, unpretentious, unassuming life.

He slept soundly during the night, undisturbed by dreams.

When he arose on the following morning, his pale cheeks looked fuller
and there was a new gladness in his heart. He went out for a walk and
suddenly found himself in the country. The thought struck him that he
might go to the restaurant and look up the girls. He went into the
large room; there he found Rieke and Jossa alone, in morning dresses,
snubbing gooseberries. Before he knew what he was doing, he was sitting
at the table beside them with a pair of scissors in his hand, helping
them. They talked of Theodore's brother and the pleasant evening they
had spent together. Not a single loose remark was made. They were just
like a happy family; surely he had fallen in good hands, he was among
friends.

When they had finished with the gooseberries, he ordered coffee and
invited the girls to share it with him. Later on the proprietress came
and read the paper to them. He felt at home.

He repeated his visit. One afternoon he went upstairs, to look for
Rieke. She was sewing a seam. Theodore asked her whether he was in her
way. "Not at all," she replied, "on the contrary." They talked of his
brother who was away at camp, and would be away for another two
months. Presently he ordered some punch and their intimacy grew.