"But you, dear Herr Sellien, you are his friend; you cannot see your friend go to ruin."
The Assessor shrugged his shoulders. "Friend! Dear me, whom don't we call by that name? And my relations with Brandow are very superficial, mere business connections, if you choose to call them so; are they not, my dear wife?"
"Certainly, certainly," murmured Alma.
"And I should be giving up this very business relation if I allowed Alma to accompany me, when the situation was so critical. In the presence of ladies it is very difficult not to touch the chords of tender feeling, and it seems to me extremely desirable to avoid the possibility of doing so. Are you not of my opinion, dear Alma?"
"It is a very disagreeable affair," said Alma.
"Is it not? And why should you expose yourself to it unnecessarily? I knew my wise little wife would yield the point at last."
And the Assessor tenderly kissed Alma's hand.
"But in that case it seems to me you must stay here too, my dear Herr Assessor," said Frau Wollnow.
"I? Why? On the contrary, it is only prudent for me to appear as natural as possible. I know nothing; I suspect nothing. Of course I shall be extremely sorry when Brandow takes me aside and tells me he can't pay; but I'll wager the dinner will be none the worse for that, and taste none the worse to me. His red wine and champagne were always superb."
Frau Wollnow rose and went out upon the balcony. She must breathe the fresh air, even at the risk of having her new silk morning-dress spoiled by the rain, which was now falling quite heavily from the gray sky. "Poor, poor Cecilia!" she repeated sighing, "and there is no one who can and will save you."