Reising passed his hand across his brow in order to chase away the impious dreams. Euphrasia once for all was his wife--and the great master said: "Everything real is reasonable!" If only those diabolical sparks in Lori's eyes did not flash with such peculiar fire!
"We will do a piece of business together," said she, "and therefore we must proceed in a business-like manner. You shall convince yourself that the institution flourishes; you shall learn her conditions personally from Fräulein Sohle."
"But what will Euphrasia say if I remain away so long?"
"Nothing, and she usually says nothing, even when she seems to say anything. I mean when she reproaches you, she does not mean it seriously. You can indulge in much greater freedom than formerly; she will gladly reconcile herself to it, only you must leave her in the belief that not a penny disappears from your funds without her knowledge. You will come, will you not?"
"If you insist upon it."
"And then we will return here; we will have ink and paper brought to us, and you will write the guarantee, will you not, dear, good friend?"
She clung to his arm, and he sealed the agreement with a brother-in-law's kiss.
Fräulein Sohle had rented two étages of a large house for her educational establishment; in the upper storey were the boarders' rooms, in the lower one the schoolrooms, the reception and conference apartments.
Several teachers and pupils were going out and in. Reising remarked en passant that Lori returned their greetings with a certain condescension, and these greetings were very polite--she was already looked upon as future mistress, and felt herself to be such. The little creature could assume very dictatorial manners.
Fräulein Sohle received her and Reising in her drawing-room. She was a lady of imposing stature, but astoundingly thin and so short-sighted that without very strong spectacles she should have mistaken all her pupils when quite close to her. Lori's principal object was by means of her brother-in-law, who was known to be rich, to represent herself to Fräulein Sohle as a lady of fortune. Fräulein Sohle respected that motive, and received her to-day with peculiar politeness.