"No. How came my hat here?"
"Faller brought it. I suppose you gave it to Faller to bring to me, did you not?"
"Why should I have done that?" he answered. "The wind blew it off my head."
He told in few words his chance visit to Katharine. Annele was silent. She kept her charge of falsehood ready to launch at him when occasion offered. She could bide her time.
Lenz sent the maid into the kitchen, and, holding the boy in his lap, gave a full account of his day's experiences, all but of those thoughts of infidelity which had risen in his heart.
"Do you know the only one point of consequence in the whole story?"
"What?"
"The hundred florins and three crown-pieces that Franzl offered you. The rest is nothing."
"Why nothing?"
"Because your uncle will not help you. Do you see now the mistake you made in letting him off five years ago?"