noon
She was still there , and it was her duty to help the stumbling lad with gentle hand . Käte went up to her husband quite quietly , so calmly that he did not notice anything . But when she took the road to the Lämkes next day , her heart trembled and beat as spasmodically as it had done before . She had fought against her fear and faint-heartedness the whole morning ; now it was almost noon on that account , Paul had told her at breakfast that Wolfgang had not been to the office the day before and only for quite a short time the preceding day . `` I do n't know what 's the matter with the boy , '' he had said . `` I 'm really too angry with him . But I suppose we ought to find out what 's happened to him . ''