made went to the devil when one arrived too early. When they finally started Inge Tietz apologised again to Frau Hessling for taking her place in the carriage. Once more Frau Hessling repeated: "Why, it's a pleasure. An old woman like me is not equal to these affairs. Have a good time, children I" With tears in her eyes she embraced her daughters, who repelled her coldly. They knew that all their mother was afraid of was that the only subject of conversation would be the horrible, scandalous story for which she herself was responsible.
In the carriage Inge at once began again to talk about it. "What about the Bucks and the Daimchens? I wonder if they will really have the infernal cheek to show up?" Magda remarked quietly. "They must come, otherwise they would be admitting that it is true."—"Well, suppose it is," said Emma. "It is their own affair. I am not going to get excited about it."—"Nor I," added Diederich. "The first I heard of it was from you to-night, Fräulein Tietz."
At this Fräulein Tietz lost her temper. The scandal could not be regarded in this easy fashion. Did he mean to imply that she had invented the whole story? "The thing has been notorious so long that their own servants know about it."—"I see," said Diederich, "servants' gossip," while he returned the nudge which Magda gave him with her knee. Then they had to get out and go down the steps which connected the new section of Kaiser Wilhelmstrasse with the lower level of the old Riekestrasse. Diederich cursed, for it was beginning to rain and their dancing shoes were getting wet. In front of the place where the ball was being held working people had gathered and they indulged in hostile comment. Why hadn't this old rubbish heap been torn down when that quarter of the town had been levelled up. The historical Concert Hall might have been preserved—as if the town could not afford to build a modern first-class entertainment hall
