"Frau Christine, what a wonderfully wise woman you are!" said the young doctor. "You sit there and tell me things which three days ago I did not so much as guess at, and of which Fräulein Agnes is now as ignorant as I was. But, unfortunately, you are right. Nemesis has overtaken me. I am hopelessly, head over ears, in love."
Christine nodded. "I have known that ever so long. But what is to come of it? I have not worried myself much about the matter so far, because Dr. Berndt made so sure you were going to die, and that would have ended everything; but now it seems there is no likelihood of your popping off at present----"
"No likelihood at all," interpolated the patient.
"Well, then, I should like to ask what is to become of you and my young lady?"
"What is to become of us? Why, a married couple, to be sure. What else should become of us?"
Contrary to Max's expectation, Frau Christine did not appear shocked or horrified at this answer. Though a Catholic herself, she was the widow of a Protestant, and during the course of her married life she had imbibed many heretical notions; among these figured a strong dislike to convents and the conventual system. The girl's determination to withdraw from the world had never found favour in her sight; in her opinion, a myrtle-wreath would become her young mistress far better than a nun's veil. She was far, therefore, from disapproving of the scheme so boldly proposed by Dr. Brunnow, who had taken her fancy from the first. Nevertheless, she shook her head gravely:
"There will never be any question of that. Have you forgotten that Fräulein Agnes is going into a convent?"
"Oh, that plan will come to nothing," decided Max. "She is not in yet, and I will take care she does not go in. But--this is most important--you must not tell your young lady that I am better, nor say a word to her about my discussion with the doctor, and the excellent appetite I have since developed. I will tell her all that myself."
Christine looked rather startled at receiving these instructions.
"Doctor, you will not be so unscrupulous as to go and act a part with that poor child?" she asked.