And therewith everybody went out, excepting old Frau Nimptsch, who looked after her departing friends amiably, nodding her head, and then got up and seated herself in the big grandfather chair.
[CHAPTER V]
Lena and Botho paused before the "castle" with the green and red painted tower and asked Dörr with considerable formality for permission to go into the garden and walk there for half an hour. The evening was so fine. Father Dörr muttered that he could not leave his property in better hands, whereupon the young couple took leave, bowing courteously, and went into the garden. Everything was already quiet, and only Sultan, whom they had to pass, got up, and whimpered until Lena had stroked him. After that he crawled back into his kennel.
In the garden all was perfume and freshness, for all the way along the principal path, between the currant and gooseberry bushes, grew gilly flowers and mignonette, whose delicate perfume mingled with the more powerful odour of the thyme beds. Nothing stirred in the trees, and only the fireflies darted through the air.
Lena was hanging on Botho's arm and they walked together to the end of the garden, where a bench stood between two silver poplars.
"Shall we sit down?"
"No," said Lena, "not now," and she turned into a side path bordered with tall raspberry bushes which nearly overtopped the garden fence. "I love to walk leaning on your arm. Tell me about something--something really pretty. Or ask me about something."
"Very well. Are you willing that I should have more of a friendship with the Dörrs?"
"As far as I am concerned."
"A curious couple. And moreover, I think, they are happy. He has to do as she wishes, and yet he is far cleverer than she."