"No one?"
"One of the young gentlemen may be."
"I will see."
"Can I take any message?"
"No; I wish to see them."
The porter closed his window, not without a sort of suspicious look at the tall stranger, who did not appear to be a gentleman of fashion, and I hurried up the two carpeted flights of stairs, and drawing a deep breath I pulled the bell over which was a brass plate with the name "Frau von Zehren," and under it "Paula von Zehren."
"Which of the boys shall I see?" I asked myself, and in fancy I saw the friendly faces of Benno, Kurt, and Oscar, at the door; but a step approached which could belong to neither of the boys. The door was opened and the old furrowed brown face of the sergeant looked at me inquisitively out of its clear blue eyes.
"Good day, sergeant."
The sergeant in his surprise very nearly let fall the bunch of brushes he had in his hand.
"Thunder and lightning, are we here at last? Won't the gnädige Frau and the young gentlemen be glad!--and the young lady too! Come in!"