"Not at all," answered Laura, with icy coldness.
"Do you know what the baby is to be called?" continued the doctor.
"He is to be called Fritz," returned Laura; and for the second time a flaming look of anger met his spectacles, then she turned away again.
Ah! in spite of the lightning that flashed from her eyes, the Doctor could not deny but that she was at this moment wonderfully lovely. She also felt obliged to say something now, and began, over her shoulder:--
"I think the name a very common one."
"It is my own name," said the Doctor; "and as I hear it every day, I must agree with you. It is at least a German name," he added, good-humoredly. "It is a pity that they are so much neglected."
"As my name is a foreign one," replied Laura, again over her shoulder, "I have a right to prefer foreign names."
"If she continues like this the whole day," thought Fritz, discouraged, "I shall have a very pleasant time of it, indeed."
"I must sit next him at dinner, and bear the insult," thought she. "Ah! life is terrible."
They arrived at the house, both glad to find themselves among others. When they entered the room, they hurried to different parts of it; but, of course, being obliged to greet the young mother, they again had to meet. When Laura turned to her godmother, the Doctor also approached from the other side, and the good lady called to mind the day when they had come together to her summer residence, and she could not refrain from exclaiming: "That portends something; you have again come together, dear children."