He kissed the dear little face, which smiled at him out of its queer disguise, pressed his lips to Adrian's forehead, again told him to give his love to his mother, and then rode down Marendorpstrasse.
Two women, coming from the Rheinsburger gate, met him just as he reached St.Stephen's cloister.

He did not notice them, but the younger one pushed the kerchief back from her head, hastily grasped her companion's wrist, and exclaimed in a low tone: "That was Peter!" Barbara raised her head higher.
"It's lucky I'm not timid.

Let go of my arm.

Do you mean the horseman trotting past St.Ursula alley ?" "Yes, it is Peter." "Nonsense, child! The bay has shorter legs than that tall camel; and Peter never rides out at this hour." "But it was he." "God forbid! At night a linden looks like a beechtree.

It would be a pretty piece of business, if he didn't come home to-day." The last words had escaped Barbara's lips against her will; for until then she had prudently feigned not to suspect that everything between Maria and her husband was not exactly as it ought to be, though she plainly perceived what was passing in the mind of her young sister-in-law.
She was a shrewd woman, with much experience of the world, who certainly did not undervalue her brother and his importance to the cause of their native land; nay, she went so far as to believe that, with the exception of the Prince of Orange, no man on earth would be more skilful than Peter in guiding the cause of freedom to a successful end; but she felt that her brother was not treating Maria justly, and being a fair-minded woman, silently took sides against the husband who neglected his wife.
Both walked side by side for a time in silence.