We had not yet left the garden, when the kreis-director entered. He was accompanied by a tall gentleman who was a stranger to us.
"Max, you here!" exclaimed Annette. "While I was happy, you did not come to me, but now you do come. How kind!"
She threw her arms around his neck, and I then learned that he was her brother.
We retired, leaving them together.
I had known that Annette was an orphan. I now learned that her brother, who was a lawyer of renown, had given up all intercourse with his sister, because of her having embraced Christianity. He had wished her to remain true to the faith of her ancestors, and to contract only a civil marriage. For her husband's sake, however, she had embraced the Catholic religion. This was the first intimation I had of her being a Catholic.
A sudden shower forced us to withdraw into the house.
It is depressing to think that while we were absorbed by the deepest despair, a petty annoyance could cause us to flee. We entered the school-room.
"There it is!" exclaimed Annette, pointing to the blackboard; "there it stands!"
On the blackboard were the words, "War, Victory, Fatherland, Germany," as a writing-copy for the children.
"Children are taught to write it," said Annette, "but where is it? All life is a blackboard, and on it are written the words, 'Death, Grief, Tears.'"