He had just dropped
in, without any suspicion that he had been sent for. He approved of
the compresses. "Send for some Goulard water and keep Annie at home
tomorrow. Quiet is the best remedy." Then he asked further about her
Ladyship and what kind of news had been received from Ems, and said he
would come again the next day to see the patient.
When they got up from the table and went into the adjoining room,
where the bandage had been searched for so zealously, albeit in vain,
Annie was again laid upon the sofa. Johanna came and sat down beside
her, while Innstetten began to put back into the sewing table the
countless things that still lay in gay confusion upon the window sill.
Now and then he was at a loss to know what to do and was obliged to
ask.
"Where do these letters belong, Johanna?"
"Clear at the bottom," said she, "here in this drawer."
During the question and answer Innstetten examined more closely than
before the little package tied up with a red cord. It seemed to
consist of a number of notes, rather than letters. Bending it between
his thumb and forefinger, like a pack of cards, he slowly let the
edges slip off one at a time, and a few lines, in reality only
disconnected words, darted past his eyes. It was impossible to
distinguish them clearly, yet it seemed to him as though he had
somewhere seen the handwriting before. Should he look into the
matter?
"Johanna, you might bring us the coffee. Annie will also take half a
cup.
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