But she seemed to be
restrained by some feeling which had found birth in her heart during
her wedding day. She said nothing of Charles's protestations of
love.
"Decidedly," she said, folding the letter, and placing it in her
work-basket, "Fate is interfering in our affairs to-day."
She turned to her work again without further complaint, almost with
a sense of relief. Mathilde, whose steady grey eyes saw everything,
penetrating every thought, glanced at her with a suddenly aroused
interest. Desiree herself was half surprised at the philosophy with
which she met this fresh misfortune.
Antoine Sebastian had never acquired the habit of drinking tea in
the evening, which had found favour in these northern countries
bordering on Russia. Instead, he usually went out at this time to
one of the many wine-rooms or Bier Halles in the town to drink a
slow and meditative glass of beer with such friends as he had made
in Dantzig. For he was a lonely man, whose face was quite familiar
to many who looked for a bow or a friendly salutation in vain.
If he went to the Rathskeller it was on the invitation of a friend;
for he could not afford to pay the vintage of that cellar, though he
drank the wine with the slow mouthing of a connoisseur when he had
it.
More often than not he took a walk first, passing out of the
Frauenthor on to the quay, where he turned to left or right and made
his way back through one or other of the town gates, by devious
narrow streets to that which is still called the Portchaisengasse
though chairs and carriers have long ceased to pass along it.
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