“I never thought of it in that way,” Sydney observed.

“One thing I tell you—watch Max. Copy him in manner; he iss a gentleman. Also his father, though he iss a hard man.”

“Ant also he loves Max but he shows it not right. The mutter—Ach, he has no mother!” She sighed and hurried off to the next room.

In a moment she was back again, a little excitement in her manner. “Not one word shall you say to Max about this. He knows not that I know.”

“You have seen—written to his father then?” Sydney hazarded.

Her smile was inscrutable. “Not any of those things. Max tells it all to me himself; not mit words—he never knows that he tells. I know. But you ant I speak not. Nicht wahr?

Sydney assented and she continued.

“I wish you should speak German mit Max ant me. I shall not make the mistakes in German. I speak good Court German. It will later make—what you say? credit for you in the university.”

“Does Max speak it correctly?”