THE INITIALS 
 
 H Stors of flDooeru Xif e 
 
 THE BARONESS TAUTPHOEUS 
 
 AUTHOR OF " QUITS," " CYRILI.A " 
 " AT ODDS," ETC. 
 
 VOLUME If. 
 
 G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
 
 NEW YORK LONDON 
 
 37 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET 24 BEDFORD STREET, STRAND 
 
 fce limcktrboclur |)ss
 
 Electrotyped, Printed, and Bound by 
 
 Ube iftnicfcerbocfeer ipress, IRew 12orfe 
 G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
 
 StacK 
 
 5015968 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE CHURCHYARD . . . s . ' . 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 GERMAN SOUP ....... 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE WARNING 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE STRUGGLE . . . . . , 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE DEPARTURE ...... 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE LONG DAY ...... 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE CHRISTMAS-TREE, AND MIDNIGHT MASS 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE GARRET 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE DISCUSSION 
 VOL. II. 
 
 Ill 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I 
 
 8 
 
 28 
 
 35 
 
 57 
 
 66 
 
 75 
 
 . 104 
 
 . 117
 
 iv Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 PAGE 
 THE SLEDGE 125 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A BALL AT THE MUSEUM CLUB IJI 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A DAY OF FREEDOM 173 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 THE MASQUERADE l88 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 WHERE IS THE BRIDEGROOM? ..... 2O8 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE WEDDING AU TROISIEME ..... 22O 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 A CHANGE . . . . . . . . 231 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 THE ARRANGEMENT . . . . . . . 242 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED 255 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 
 THE IRON WORKS ....... 26l 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES . 273 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 THE EXPERIMENT . 288
 
 Contents. v 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 PAGE 
 THE RECALL 308 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 HOHENFELS . . . . . . .318 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 THE SCHEIBEN-SCHIESSEN (TARGET SHOOTING MATCH), 33! 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 A DISCOURSE ... . . . . 346 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 ANOTHER KIND OF DISCOURSE 354 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE JOURNEY HOME COMMENCES .... 361 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 WHAT OCCURRED AT THE HOTEL D*ANGLETERRE IN 
 
 FRANKFORT . . . . . . . 370 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 HALT !......... 382 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 CONCLUSION ........ 406
 
 THE INITIALS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE CHURCHYARD. 
 
 TIAMILTON experienced a sort of satisfac- 
 tion in avoiding both sisters for some time 
 the idea that he was endeavouring to cure 
 Crescenz of her too evident partiality was almost 
 sublime, and would probably have turned his 
 youthful head had not Hildegarde formed a 
 counterpoise. Her former dislike to him seemed 
 to have returned with redoubled force. She 
 scarcely looked at, never spoke to him, and 
 seemed not in the least to observe that he no 
 longer passed the evenings at home. He had 
 found no difficulty in disposing of his time ; in- 
 troductions to a few German families had been 
 followed by general invitations, of which he 
 availed himself at first with eager pleasure, but 
 soon afterwards with a feeling of indescribable 
 ennui ; he missed Hildegarde's society, and be- 
 gan to consider in what way he could imper-
 
 Cbe Unittals. 
 
 ceptibly renew their former intimacy ; but this 
 was more difficult than he had imagined, for the 
 sisters seemed to have formed an alliance offen- 
 sive and defensive against him. Crescenz no 
 longer sang when learning to make pies and pud- 
 dings in the kitchen ; and if he looked in, she 
 retreated behind the dresser. Hildegarde's door 
 was now always shut, perhaps because the weather 
 had become colder, but Hamilton imagined it 
 was to prevent his leaning against the door-posts, 
 to watch her giving her brothers instruction until 
 the dinner was announced. The rarity and 
 shortness of his present intercourse served but 
 to keep her in his memory, and perpetually re- 
 new his regret for their last most unnecessary 
 quarrel. 
 
 One cold fine morning, as he was leaving the 
 house to keep an appointment with Zedwitz, he 
 perceived her standing with Crescenz and her 
 father at the passage-window looking into the 
 court. They were dressed in deep mourning, and 
 held in their hands large wreaths of ivy, inter- 
 spersed with clusters of red berries ; they con- 
 templated them with evident satisfaction, while 
 their father spoke so earnestly that Hamilton's 
 approach was at first unperceived, and he heard 
 Mr. Rosenberg say, " You can easily imagine why 
 I prefer going alone, and at some other time. As 
 long as you were at school, gratitude for my wife's 
 attention forced me to accompany her to the 
 churchyard the task of placing the wreaths now
 
 Cburcbgarfc. 
 
 devolves on you, and I wish you both to thank 
 her as she deserves. You will not surely find it 
 difficult to comply with my request." 
 
 " I hope nothing unexpected has occurred " 
 began Hamilton, looking at the sable garments 
 of the sisters. 
 
 " Nothing whatever," replied Mr. Rosenberg, 
 smiling. " It is All Saints' Day, and my girls are 
 going to place wreaths on their mother's grave. 
 I suppose you too are on the way to the church- 
 yard, like all the rest of the world ? " 
 
 " No," said Hamilton, " why should I go 
 there ? " 
 
 " I don't know, indeed," replied Mr. Rosen- 
 berg, " excepting as a stranger it might interest 
 you to see the decorated graves." 
 
 " If there be anything to see, I shall certainly 
 ride to the churchyard after I have kept my 
 appointment with Zedwitz," said Hamilton, 
 stooping to examine the wreath which hung on 
 Hildegarde's arm. 
 
 " My wife surprised Hildegarde with this 
 wreath and a bouquet of superb dahlias this 
 morning, and I have just been telling her that 
 her mother's grave has been decorated every year 
 in the same manner." 
 
 " I am fully aware of my step-mother's kind- 
 ness," said Hildegarde, with some embarrass- 
 ment, "and am sorry I ever did her injustice." 
 
 "That 's right, Hildegarde," replied her father. 
 " Now I know you will say all I wish to-morrow
 
 a be flnttfate. 
 
 we can go alone together, but to-day you must 
 accompany your step-mother." 
 
 Hamilton desired his servant to meet him at 
 the churchyard, and rode off to the barracks ; he 
 had no difficulty in persuading Zedwitz to accom- 
 pany him, after having told him Hildegarde was 
 there. " I will go to meet the living," he said, 
 " but not to pray for the dead, inasmuch as I not 
 only doubt the efficacy of my prayers, but the 
 existence of purgatory." 
 
 " Hush ! " said Hamilton, laughing ; " no good 
 Catholics should entertain a doubt on the subject. 
 I hope I shall not find you as unbelieving as my 
 friend Biedermann, who has substituted philoso- 
 phy for religion, and talks of the soul resolving 
 itself into the eternal essence after its separation 
 from the body." 
 
 " No," said Zedwitz, " I am a good Catholic, 
 and believe more than many professors of my 
 religion. I go to mass every Sunday and holi- 
 day, and my mother takes care that I confess my 
 sins once a year at least." 
 
 " That same confession must be rather a bore," 
 observed Hamilton. 
 
 "Sometimes rather," replied Zedwitz, mak- 
 ing his horse dance along the road. 
 
 " It seems as if all Munich had turned out in 
 mourning," said Hamilton ; " the crowd, too, re- 
 minds me of the October fete, but the faces do 
 not exactly suit the garments. Is it not necessary 
 to look a little sorrowful on such an occasion ? "
 
 " How can you be so unreasonable ! " ex- 
 claimed Zedwitz ; " many of these persons are 
 about to visit the graves of relations who have 
 been dead a dozen years ! For my part, I find 
 something respectable, almost praiseworthy, in 
 the dedication of one day in the year to the mem- 
 ory of the dead, even though tearlessly spent." 
 
 " I quite agree with you," said Hamilton, " and 
 the idea of praying for their souls is poetical in 
 the extreme. Had I been a Catholic, that is one 
 of the tenets I should most tenaciously have 
 believed. But," he resumed after a long pause, " it 
 seems odd that All Saints' Day instead of All 
 Souls' Day, should be chosen can you tell me 
 why ? " 
 
 "No," replied Zedwitz, "you must ask some- 
 one better informed on these subjects than I 
 am ; all I know is, that the observance itself was 
 instituted by one of the popes about twelve 
 hundred years ago." 
 
 " But I should have thought that as none of 
 the relatives of these people have been saints 
 to-morrow, being All Souls' Day, would be the 
 proper day to choose." 
 
 "Very likely," answered Zedwitz, laughing. 
 " I have never thought about the matter, but I 
 suppose the first of November is what you would 
 in England call the most fashionable day. Ask 
 my mother the first time you see her, and she will 
 tell you everything about it. By-the-by, when 
 do you intend to visit us ? "
 
 tTbe fTnftfals. 
 
 " As soon as I have a second horse and a sledge. 
 I enjoy the idea of sledging so much that I wish 
 with all my heart it would begin to snow to-mor- 
 row. But here we are, and I hope Hildegarde 
 may prove a very loadstone to you, otherwise we 
 shall scarcely find her among all these people." 
 
 The crowd was immense, and they made their 
 way slowly through it, but Hamilton was inter- 
 ested in the novelty of the scene ; his compan- 
 ion's eyes wandered toward the different groups 
 of dark moving figures, who occasionally stopped 
 to sprinkle the graves of departed friends with 
 water placed near for the purpose. Hamilton 
 was occupied with the tombstones and crosses, 
 which were variously and tastefully decorated 
 with wreaths, festoons, bouquets of flowers, and 
 coloured lamps. Even the graves of the poorest 
 were strewn with charcoal, and ornamented with 
 red berries and moss, while tearful groups sur- 
 rounding those newly made, gave an additional 
 shade of solemnity to a religious rite which Ham- 
 ilton had been taught to consider superfluous. 
 
 The attempt to find the Rosenbergs, or rather 
 Hildegarde, among the moving multitude, was 
 long fruitless, and might have proved altogether 
 so, had not they met the Hoffmanns and Raimund, 
 who led them at once to the object of their 
 search. Madame Rosenberg was preparing to 
 depart, and held in her hand a brush dipped in 
 water, which she shook over the grave. Hilde- 
 garde and Crescenz followed her example, before
 
 tlbe Cburcbsarfc. 
 
 they spoke to Zedwitz or Hamilton ; but directly 
 they laid it aside, the two boys, finding themselves 
 unwatched, began a contest for it, which became 
 so loud, that their mother, turning quickly towards 
 them, and perceiving their irreverent conduct, 
 seized the subject of dispute, and bestowing a 
 thump upon each, shoved them on before her, 
 while she exclaimed : " I ought to have left you 
 at home, you tiresome children ; you have never 
 ceased plaguing me since we came out. Only im- 
 agine," she said, addressing Hamilton ; " Gustle 
 was twice nearly run over, and Peppy fell so often, 
 that the Major was at last obliged to carry him ! " 
 
 Zedwitz and Raimund had immediately joined 
 Hildegarde. Raimund, whose mouth had been 
 distended by a frightful yawn when they had 
 met him, was now smiling radiantly, and evi- 
 dently endeavouring to monopolise his cousin, 
 who, however, seemed rather indisposed to lis- 
 ten to him, and bestowed her attentions almost 
 exclusively on Zedwitz. Raimund at length 
 rejoined his betrothed, saying, loud enough 
 for Hamilton to hear, " Hildegarde knows what 
 she is about ; when Zedwitz is present she has 
 neither word nor look for her poor cousin ! " 
 
 "You get words and looks enough from her 
 every evening when she is with us," observed 
 Madame de Hoffmann, with some bitterness. 
 
 Hamilton turned round, and saw Mademoiselle 
 de Hoffmann's glance of reproach towards her 
 mother, and Raimund's confusion. The words
 
 fnitfala. 
 
 "every evening" grated on his ear, and before 
 he could arrange the unpleasant ideas which had 
 at once entered his mind, they had reached the 
 churchyard gate, and Zedwitz, approaching him, 
 whispered hurriedly, " I would not lose this walk 
 home for any consideration. Your advice about 
 Hildegarde was excellent, and I am determined 
 to follow it. Pray let your servant take charge 
 of my horse." 
 
 " My advice ! " repeated Hamilton, with a 
 forced smile, but Zedwitz had left him, and the 
 crowd had closed between them. Murmuring 
 some directions to his servant, Hamilton sprang 
 upon his horse the animal, always restive, no 
 sooner felt his impetuous spring than he plunged 
 violently, and on receiving an angry check, 
 reared lost his balance and fell backwards 
 rolling over his rider to the horror of all the by- 
 standers. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 GERMAN SOUP. 
 
 TJAMILTON was taken up senseless. Zed- 
 * * witz rushed to his assistance. Madame 
 Rosenberg could not leave her children, but was 
 obliged to hold them fast by their hands. Major 
 Stultz endeavoured with a half-offended air to 
 tranquillise Crescenz, whose screams had begun 
 to subside into a flood of tears. Raimund coolly
 
 German Soup. 
 
 exclaimed to Mademoiselle de Hoffmann that 
 Hamilton had been aware of the viciousness of 
 the horse when he purchased it, but had imag- 
 ined himself too good a rider to be thrown. Hil- 
 degarde, having obtained a flacon de 1'eau de 
 Cologne from a stranger, was soon beside Zed- 
 witz, endeavouring to restore Hamilton to con- 
 sciousness ; he very soon opened his eyes, looked 
 around him, and on Zedwitz asking him where 
 he was hurt, began to speak incoherently in 
 English. 
 
 " We must get a carriage and take him home 
 as soon as possible," said Zedwitz ; "he seems 
 more seriously injured than I imagined from the 
 slight wound on his temple." 
 
 "Well, this is really dreadful!" exclaimed 
 Madame Rosenberg ; " and there is not a soul in 
 our house, for I gave Walburg leave to go out. 
 Here is the key of the door what can I do with 
 the boys ? " 
 
 " Let me take charge of them," said Madame 
 de Hoffmann. 
 
 " I am as much obliged to you for the offer as 
 if I could accept it," replied Madame Rosenberg, 
 "but unfortunately they are so unruly that I 
 cannot leave them with you more than with their 
 sisters and the Major. There is no help for it. 
 Hildegarde, you must go in the carriage, and 
 send old Hans directly for Doctor Berger." 
 
 " May I not go, too ? " said Crescenz, timidly ; 
 " I am so tired ! "
 
 io ftbe Ifnitfals. 
 
 " Oh, of course," replied her mother, ironically ; 
 " another fit of screaming would greatly benefit 
 Mr. Hamilton. Here, Hildegarde, take the key 
 and be off." 
 
 On their way home, Hamilton alone was loqua- 
 cious ; he spoke English incessantly, sometimes 
 murmuring, sometimes vehemently. Hildegarde 
 blushed deeply, and appeared unusually embar- 
 rassed which Zedwitz interpreted to his own 
 advantage, totally unconscious that she under- 
 stood the ravings of Hamilton, which had already 
 revealed much he was anxious to conceal from 
 her ; his last thought before his fall had been of 
 her, his last feeling annoyance on her account, 
 and he now unreservedly poured forth both with 
 wild volubility. 
 
 " I think we had better bind a handkerchief 
 over his forehead," said Hildegarde at last. 
 " The motion of the carriage has made the blood 
 flow." 
 
 " I ought to have thought of that," said Zed- 
 witz, assisting her ; " he does not seem to know 
 either of us, and evidently thinks you some other 
 person. Who is this Helene of whom he is 
 speaking now ? " 
 
 "Some one in England, I suppose." 
 
 " Poor fellow ! most probably he fancies him- 
 self at home. I am very glad to perceive that he 
 is beginning to be exhausted. There is some- 
 thing frightful in this sort of raving, even when 
 one does not understand it."
 
 (Serman Soup. 
 
 " Do you think there is any danger to be 
 apprehended ? " asked Hildegarde, calmly. 
 
 " I hope not ; but his brain must be affected in 
 some way, or he would not talk as he has done." 
 
 Directly on reaching the house they sent 
 for Doctor Berger, who came, accompanied 
 by Mr. Biedermann ; the latter declaring at once 
 his intention of remaining to take care of his 
 friend. Hamilton looked inquiringly from one 
 to the other as they entered the room, and then 
 said quickly in German, " I know you." 
 
 " I am glad to hear it," said the Doctor, adjust- 
 ing his spectacles, and turning to Biedermann, he 
 whispered, " They have been unnecessarily 
 alarmed, it seems." 
 
 " Yes, I know you. You are the ugly old doc- 
 tor with the protruding chin who married Cres- 
 cenz, after she had walked by moonlight at 
 Seon." 
 
 The Doctor shook his head and turned to Zed- 
 witz for an explanation of the accident. This was 
 quickly given, and he and Hildegarde waited with 
 evident anxiety to hear the Doctor's opinion. It 
 was not so favourable as they had expected 
 severe remedies were necessary, and a fortnight 
 elapsed before Hamilton was pronounced quite 
 out of danger. During this time nothing could 
 equal the attention bestowed on him by the 
 Rosenberg family and his friend Biedermann, 
 who passed every night on a sofa in his room. 
 Zedwitz, too, spent daily hours with him per-
 
 12 ftbe flnitfals. 
 
 haps the visits of the latter were not quite dis- 
 interested, for he often met Hildegarde, who was 
 employed to amuse Hamilton, as he was neither 
 allowed to hear reading, nor to attempt to read 
 himself. As soon as he was pronounced conval- 
 escent, he had a constant succession of visitors 
 every day ; not only his own acquaintance, but 
 everyone who had seen him with the Rosenbergs ; 
 he felt at times perhaps quite as much bored as 
 obliged, and remembered occasionally with regret 
 that more dangerous part of his illness when Hil- 
 degarde had sat alone in his darkened chamber, 
 and Crescenz gently opened the door every 
 quarter of an hour to ask if he were better 
 her mother, at Major Stultz's instigation, hav- 
 ing strictly forbidden her to enter the room. 
 Even the fussy visits of Madame Rosenberg, 
 who invariably insisted on half making his bed 
 and thumping all his pillows, were recollected 
 with pleasure, and he wondered at the impatience 
 with which he had received these well-meant 
 civilities, having once forgotten himself so far as 
 to wish in very correct German that the devil 
 would come in ipsissimd persona and take her out 
 of his presence ! which speech had so alarmed 
 her for the state of his brain that she had imme- 
 diately sent off for the doctor. 
 
 The period of convalescence was not without 
 its pleasures either, and Hamilton knew how to 
 appreciate them. Hildegarde was obliged to read 
 or talk to him whenever he choose, was forbidden
 
 (Bernian Soup. 13 
 
 to contradict or quarrel with him, and, when on 
 one day he complained of cold hands, she had 
 been ordered to knit cuffs for him, and had done 
 so with apparent pleasure then she had learned 
 to play chess in order to take Biedermann's 
 place when he could not come, and had to sub- 
 mit to be checkmated as often as Hamilton 
 pleased without losing her temper. He had in- 
 sensibly grown tyrannical, too upbraided her if 
 she remained long out walking refused to eat 
 his dinner if she did not bring it to him, and in- 
 sisted on the whole family spending the evenings 
 in his room, thereby effectually preventing her 
 from going to the Hoffmanns. 
 
 Among Hamilton's most constant visitors was 
 Madame Berger, and she was always welcome, 
 for she amused him. " I should like to know," 
 she said one day, seating herself on the sofa 
 beside him, " I should like to know how long you 
 intend to play invalid ? It is astonishing how 
 desponding, almost pusillanimous, you men be- 
 come when you are in the least ill ! I lose all 
 patience when I see the Doctor feeling his own 
 pulse fifty times a day, and consulting half a 
 dozen good friends if his heart beat a little 
 quicker than usual while I have palpitations 
 every day of my life, and never think of com- 
 plaining or fancying that I have a diseased heart ! 
 My father was even worse than the Doctor ; if 
 he had but a cold in his head, he immediately 
 mounted a black silk night-cap with a tassel pen-
 
 14 Gbe flnitials. 
 
 dant, wrapped himself up in his dressing-gown, 
 and wandered about the house discovering all 
 sorts of things not intended for his eyes or ears, 
 and finding fault with everybody and everything 
 that came in his way, although at other times the 
 best-natured man imaginable. He had a habit, 
 too, on such occasions, of eating a bowl of soup 
 every half hour, and then imagining it was ill- 
 ness which prevented him from enjoying his 
 meals ! " 
 
 Hamilton laughed, and at the same moment 
 Hildegarde entered the room, carrying a tray, on 
 which was placed a double-handled china basin, 
 the contents of which, notwithstanding the cover, 
 emitted a most savoury odour ; the little slice of 
 toasted bread on a plate beside it seeming in- 
 tended to correct any doubts which might arise 
 as to its being an invalid soup. She placed it on 
 the table before him, removed the cover, and 
 stood in waiting, as he first played with the spoon, 
 and then fastidiously tasted it. 
 
 " You have not prepared this forme yourself," 
 he said, looking up discontentedly. 
 
 " No," she replied ; " I I heard papa's voice, 
 and begged Walburg to " 
 
 " I knew that," cried Hamilton, pettishly. 
 " Walburg always forgets the salt. Just taste it 
 yourself, and you will be convinced that I cannot 
 swallow it in its present state." 
 
 "Let me try it," cried Madame Berger ; "I 
 am an excellent judge of soup, have learned
 
 (Berman Soup. 15 
 
 cookery, and all that sort of thing. Let me see," 
 said she, playing with the spoon exactly as Ham- 
 ilton had done ; " let me see ; the smell is excel- 
 lent, but the taste ? hum ! might require a 
 little more salt, perhaps, but but still it is 
 eatable. After a few spoonfuls one scarcely 
 remarks the defect and," she continued, raising 
 the bowl to her mouth, " and when one swallows 
 it quickly, it is really quite refreshing this cold 
 afternoon." 
 
 Hamilton laughed ; Hildegarde grew angry. 
 " You may consider this a good joke, Lina," she 
 exclaimed," but I find it very, very impertinent." 
 
 " Now don't get into a passion, my dear, about 
 a miserable bowl of soup," said Madame Berger, 
 laughing maliciously ; " it is really not worth 
 while. Just go to the kitchen and bring another, 
 and I promise not even to look at it." 
 
 " But there is no more." 
 
 " Ah, bah ! as if I did not know that there 
 was soup put aside for supper." 
 
 " But not such soup as that," cried Hildegarde, 
 ingenuously ; " mamma and Crescenz cooked it 
 together, and I was not allowed to touch it for 
 fear of its being spoiled." 
 
 " What an opinion they must have of her 
 cookery," remarked Madame Berger, looking 
 towards Hamilton. 
 
 " It is of no consequence," he said, laughing ; 
 " I do not deserve any for having been so diffi- 
 cult to please."
 
 16 Cbe ffnittate. 
 
 "I can bring you a cup of beef-tea it is 
 better than nothing," said Hildegarde, leaving 
 the room. 
 
 " Most careful nurse ! " cried Madame Berger, 
 smiling ironically. 
 
 " Most indefatigable most kind," exclaimed 
 Hamilton, warmly. 
 
 " And most domineering," added Madame 
 Berger. 
 
 " I have not found her so." 
 
 " Because you have never contradicted her, 
 perhaps. For instance, what would you take 
 now to refuse this cup of beef-tea when she 
 brings it to you ? " 
 
 " That would be ungrateful almost rude," 
 said Hamilton. 
 
 " It will be bad enough to afford you an 
 excuse, and I promise to assist you to brave her 
 anger," said Madame Berger, laughing. 
 
 Hamilton shook his head and looked a little 
 embarrassed. 
 
 " Tell the truth, and say at once you dare not 
 do it. She rules you, I perceive, as she does her 
 sister Crescenz, all in the way of kindness, but 
 no thraldom can be more complete. How I 
 shall enjoy seeing you swallow the scalding 
 water dignified with the name of beef-tea. I 
 dare say this time there will be salt enough in 
 it." 
 
 " How mischievous you are," cried Hamilton ; 
 " I do believe you want us to quarrel merely for
 
 <5erman Soup. 17 
 
 your amusement, after having remained for three 
 weeks the best of friends possible." 
 
 " You are more than friends if you cannot take 
 the liberty to refuse a cup of bad soup." 
 
 Hamilton was about to reply, when the door 
 was opened by Hans to admit Count Zedwitz. 
 
 "You have played truant to-day, Zedwitz," 
 said Hamilton, holding out his hand ; " I ex- 
 pected you an hour ago." 
 
 " I have been skating on the lake in the Eng- 
 lish Garden. There was a famous frost last 
 night, and " 
 
 " Skating ! Here, Hans, look for my skates 
 directly, there is nothing I enjoy more than 
 skating. We will go out together." 
 
 " But," said Zedwitz, hesitating, " is it advis- 
 able to go out so late ? Remember, you have 
 been more than three weeks confined to the 
 house. What will the Doctor say ? " 
 
 " Hang the Doctor," cried Hamilton, rising. 
 
 " I am sure I am exceedingly obliged to you," 
 said his wife, pretending to look offended. 
 
 " By way of precaution, and not to lose time, 
 we will drive to the lake in a hackney coach," 
 said Hamilton. " Come with us," he added, 
 turning cavalierly to Madame Berger. 
 
 " I have no objection, provided you leave me 
 at home on your way back." 
 
 " Agreed," cried Hamilton, entering his bed- 
 room to make the necessary change in his dress. 
 
 Madame Berger was standing opposite a long 
 
 VOL. ii. a
 
 i8 Gbe Initials. 
 
 glass, arranging her bonnet, Zedwitz turning 
 over the leaves of some new book, and Hamilton 
 issuing from his room, when Hildegarde again 
 appeared, carrying another bowl of soup. She 
 was so surprised at the appearance of the latter 
 that she stopped in the middle of the room, and 
 looked inquiringly from one to the other without 
 speaking. 
 
 "Mr. Hamilton is going out to take a drive," 
 began Madame Berger, fearing Hildegarde 
 might try to make him alter his intention. 
 
 " I am going with Zedwitz to skate in the 
 English Gardens," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Perhaps, Hildegarde, you will go with us ; I 
 can play chaperone on the occasion," said Mad- 
 ame Berger. 
 
 Hildegarde did not vouchsafe an answer, but 
 turning to Zedwitz, she said reproachfully : 
 " This is not an hour to tempt an invalid to 
 leave the house for the first time." 
 
 " I assure you I have not tempted him," re- 
 plied Zedwitz ; " I only mentioned having been 
 skating to excuse my coming so late." 
 
 " You surely will not think of going out this 
 cold day ? " she said, turning to Hamilton. 
 
 " The weather," said Madame Berger, " is not 
 likely to grow warmer at this time of the year, 
 and I suppose he must leave the house some time 
 or other." 
 
 " In fact, I am no longer an invalid," said Hamil- 
 ton, "and the air, though cold, will do me good,"
 
 (Serman Soup. 
 
 " At least drink this beef-tea before you go," 
 said Hildegarde, approaching him. 
 
 " How on earth can you expect Mr. Hamilton 
 to swallow such slop as this ! " cried Madame 
 Berger, raising the cover as she spoke. 
 
 Hildegarde angrily pushed away her hand. 
 
 "The carriage is at the door," said Hans. 
 
 " Come," cried Madame Berger, laughing, 
 " you have no time to drink this hot water at 
 present, and if you do not make haste I must 
 decline going with you to admire your skating, 
 for it will be too late for me. Have you cour- 
 age ? " she asked, giving Hamilton a look of in- 
 telligence. 
 
 Hildegarde had perceived that he wished to 
 avoid drinking the beef-tea. She had placed it 
 on the table, and was now standing near the 
 stove apparently tranquil, but a slight contraction 
 of her brows, and the extraordinary brilliancy of 
 her eyes as she followed the motions of each 
 speaker, betrayed the anger with which she was 
 struggling. 
 
 " I perceive you are annoyed," said Zedwitz, 
 when about to leave the room ; " but," he added, 
 quickly, while the colour mounted to his tem- 
 ples, "you need not be uneasy about your pa- 
 tient ; I will bring him back as soon as possible." 
 
 " You are mistaken as to the cause of my 
 annoyance," said Hildegarde, with a forced 
 smile ; " I am angry with myself for having 
 been such a fool as to prepare that soup."
 
 20 Cbe Umtials. 
 
 " You must excuse Hamilton this time. Mad- 
 ame Berger is such an impertinent little person! '' 
 said Zedwitz, as he closed the door. 
 
 In the meantime Hamilton had nearly de- 
 scended the stairs. " I can tell you," said Madame 
 Berger, " that Hildegarde is in a towering pas- 
 sion. Did you not see her eyes flashing, and 
 her lips grow blue ? I should not wonder if at 
 this moment she were literally dancing in your 
 room ! " 
 
 " I should like to see her," said Hamilton, 
 stopping suddenly. 
 
 " But if you go back you will have to swallow 
 the soup as a peace-offering," said Madame 
 Berger. 
 
 " Do you think so ? Zedwitz, will you assist 
 Madame Berger into the carriage ? I must 
 return to Hildegarde ; but I promise not to 
 detain you more than a minute." He rushed up 
 the stairs as he spoke, entered without noise by 
 means of his skeleton key, and, passing through 
 his bedroom, was able to ascertain the partial 
 truth of Madame Berger's assertion. Hildegarde 
 was walking up and down the room with flushed 
 cheeks, talking angrily to herself, and pushing 
 everything that came in her way. " What a fool 
 what an egregious fool I was to make a fire 
 with my own hands to warm that soup ! " She 
 kicked the leg of the table as she spoke, making 
 the plates and spoons clatter. " If ever I warm 
 soup for him again I hope, yes, I hope, I may
 
 (Berman Soup. 21 
 
 burn my arm as I have done this time." She 
 raised her sleeve and looked frowningly at the 
 suffering limb, which in fact was extremely red 
 and covered with blisters. While she endeav- 
 oured with her handkerchief to remove the long 
 streaks of smut which still bore testimony to the 
 origin of the mischief, Hamilton advanced ; and, 
 scarcely conscious of what he was doing, seized 
 her hand, and held it firmly, while he gulped down 
 the soup as fast as he was able. It was, as Mad- 
 ame Berger had said, very hot ; and when he had 
 deposited the bowl on the plate, tears actually 
 stood in his eyes from the excess of his exertions." 
 
 " I feel quite warm now," he said, turning to 
 Hildegarde, who stood beside him in great con- 
 fusion, fearing that she had been overheard, and, 
 as usual, ashamed of her violence, now that it 
 was over. She had covered her arm, and was 
 endeavouring to release her hand, as he added, 
 " You were quite right when you said it was too 
 late for skating to-day. I shall merely drive out 
 for half-an-hour, by way of a beginning. This 
 sacrifice I make to your better judgment." 
 
 Hildegarde looked up ; her lips were no longer 
 blue, and her eyes had regained their usual 
 serenity. " To-morrow," she observed, with 
 evident satisfaction, " to-morrow you can go out 
 directly after dinner, when the sun is shining." 
 
 " Exactly ; pray don't forget to bespeak a little 
 sunshine for me," he cried, laughing, as he ran 
 out of the room.
 
 22 Gbe flnitfals. 
 
 " Where is my little tormentor ? " he asked, on 
 perceiving that the carriage was unoccupied. 
 
 " How could you expect her to wait for you ? " 
 said Zedwitz, gravely. She has had the good 
 sense to go home." 
 
 " I am glad of it," cried Hamilton, springing 
 gayly into the carriage, " very glad." 
 
 " It is confoundedly cold," said Zedwitz, im- 
 patiently throwing the folds of his cloak over 
 his shoulder. " I must say your minute was a 
 long one." 
 
 " Why, my dear fellow, considering that I had 
 to drink all that hot water, and put Hildegarde 
 in good humour again, I do not think I required 
 much time." 
 
 Zedwitz looked out of the window in silence. 
 Hamilton leaned back and indulged in reflection 
 of no disagreeable kind. 
 
 " Halt ! " cried Zedwitz, suddenly, " we are at 
 the lake." 
 
 " Let us drive on. I don't mean to skate to- 
 day," said Hamilton. 
 
 " You don't mean to skate ! " exclaimed Zed- 
 witz. 
 
 " No. I promised Hildegarde merely to take 
 an airing." 
 
 " Why did you not tell me that before ? " 
 
 " Because I feared being deprived of your 
 agreeable society." 
 
 " Halt ! " cried Zedwitz, vehemently ; and the 
 carriage stopped. " I can tell you," he said,
 
 German Soup. 23 
 
 kicking the door to assist Hans in opening it, " I 
 can tell you that you have just received an ex- 
 tremely great proof of my friendship, for if there 
 be any one thing I particularly detest in this 
 world, it is driving about in a machine of this 
 kind. I have an inveterate antipathy to a hack- 
 ney coach." 
 
 " I understand and share your feelings on this 
 subject, generally speaking," said Hamilton, 
 amused at his violence ; " but after being con- 
 fined to one's room for three or four weeks, the 
 air enjoyed even through the windows of a hack- 
 ney-coach is agreeable and refreshing. Come, 
 you may as well drive back with me." 
 
 " Sorry, I have a most particular engagement," 
 began Zedwitz, who was now standing on the 
 road, and stamping his feet on the frozen ground, 
 as if they had been cramped. 
 
 " You forget you intended to skate with me," 
 cried Hamilton, laughing, while he jumped out 
 of the carriage, took Zedwitz's arm, and walked 
 off quickly with him, neither speaking for several 
 minutes. 
 
 " Are you jealous ? " asked Hamilton, at length. 
 
 " You know best whether or not I have cause 
 to be." 
 
 "You have no cause although I am sorry 
 to be obliged to confess to you that I too 
 begin to find Hildegarde altogether irresistible, 
 but she does not care in the least for me, and 
 even were it otherwise, my case is more hopeless
 
 24 Gbe Initials. 
 
 than yours. Your parents will at least vouchsafe 
 to make a flattering opposition, which, as you are 
 an only son, must terminate in consent if you are 
 firm mine would overwhelm me with scornful 
 ridicule were I to hint at anything so preposter- 
 ous as an early marriage. It is I, in fact, who 
 ought to be jealous, and desperately jealous too, 
 if you knew but all." 
 
 " But her anxiety about you just now " 
 
 "Was more natural than flattering," said 
 Hamilton ; " she has got the habit of taking care 
 of me during my illness, and even lately exacts a 
 sort of obedience in trifles, which, however, I 
 willingly pay, as she allows me to tyrannise in 
 in other respects." 
 
 " But still, I consider you so very dangerous 
 a rival " began Zedwitz. 
 
 " By no means, for though I wish to gain some 
 of Hildegarde's esteem, if not affection, I can 
 never speak to her seriously on that subject which 
 alone could interfere with your wishes." 
 
 " Do you advise me then to persevere ? " asked 
 Zedwitz. 
 
 " I must in future decline advising," replied 
 Hamilton ; " my confession just now was in fact 
 tantamount to an acknowledgment of my inca- 
 pacity to do so." 
 
 " Ah, bah ! " cried Zedwitz, " your manner 
 has convinced me that your love is not very deep- 
 rooted my fears are more for her than for 
 you. If she once liked you, and confessed it,
 
 (Berman Soup. 25 
 
 there is no saying how serious the affair might 
 become." 
 
 " Very true," said Hamilton, " you might in 
 that case prepare for a voyage to the moon, 
 where you would be sure to find my senses in a 
 little phial, nicely corked and labelled." 
 
 " Pshaw ! Tell me seriously, what would you 
 do in such a case ? " 
 
 " Seriously I believe I should act like a fool. 
 Apply to my father with the certainty of being 
 refused, and laughed at into the bargain write 
 to my Uncle Jack, that he might have time to 
 make a new will and disinherit me and then, 
 perhaps, enter into a seven years' engagement." 
 
 " Hildegarde would never consent to anything 
 so absurd." 
 
 " Not at present but I thought you supposed 
 her to return my " 
 
 " Hang the supposition ! " cried Zedwitz, im- 
 patiently, and they walked on in silence until 
 Zedwitz again spoke : " I wish, Hamilton, that 
 'at least you would promise to tell me if ever you 
 do enter into any land of engagement with Hil- 
 degarde." 
 
 "No," said Hamilton, firmly, "I will make no 
 such promise. Let us start fair, we both love 
 her, each after his own manner. I will be hon- 
 ourable, and tell you that you stand high in her 
 estimation, and that the fear of the opposition of 
 your family, and not indifference on her part, 
 caused her former refusal. I have had to com-
 
 26 (Tbe initials. 
 
 bat with her personal dislike, and if I have over- 
 come it, a very lukewarm kind of regard has 
 taken place. To counterbalance your advan- 
 tages, I live in the same house, and see her daily 
 hourly often alone." 
 
 " Let us start fair in good earnest," cried Zed- 
 witz, eagerly, " but in order to do so, you must 
 establish yourself in my quarters. The rooms 
 which belong to my father when he is in town are 
 at your service ; neither he nor my mother comes 
 to Munich this season, as Agnes's marriage takes 
 place before the carnival. We will live together 
 visit the Rosenbergs together, and at the end 
 of two or three months write a letter to Hilde- 
 garde, and " 
 
 Hamilton began to laugh. " Had you pro- 
 posed this plan at Seon, I might have agreed to 
 it but now it would be absurd to think of such a 
 thing. Putting all other feelings out of the ques- 
 tion, Hildegarde has become absolutely necessary 
 to me. When I am ill, she tends me when I am 
 well, she reads with me, or for me, and amuses 
 me ; and when I am out of temper, she quarrels 
 with me ! " 
 
 " In the last particular I could supply her 
 place," said Zedwitz, " for I could quarrel with 
 you easily enough. If I thought you really loved 
 her, I should not so much mind, but you are de- 
 liberately seeking a few months' amusement at 
 her expense, and endeavouring to gain her affec- 
 tion without any object whatever ; for as to your
 
 (Berman Soup. 27 
 
 seven years' engagement, I cannot for a moment 
 believe you serious. Perhaps -Englishwomen 
 may consider this pardonable, but my country- 
 women " 
 
 " Your countrywomen unfortunately do not 
 understand the meaning of the word flirtation," 
 said Hamilton, interrupting him. " I wish I 
 had time and opportunity to explain it to them." 
 
 " Explain to me what flirtation is," said Zed- 
 witz, gravely. 
 
 " No," said Hamilton, " I shall do no such 
 thing, for I see by your face that you are ready 
 to preach a sermon upon the crime of endeavour- 
 ing to please any of your fair countrywomen 
 without having both the intention and power to 
 marry with all possible despatch ; and now, will 
 you come upstairs with me ? " 
 
 Zedwitz shook his head. 
 
 " I do not mean to press you," said Hamilton, 
 " for I must say I never found you less amusing 
 than to-day. I wish you would make an agree- 
 ment never to mention Hildegarde's name to 
 me." 
 
 " It is an excellent idea," said Zedwitz, " but, 
 as I am sincerely attached to her, I hope you 
 will consider it no breach of confidence, 
 should I warn her against this flirtation love of 
 yours." 
 
 " None whatever," replied Hamilton, laughing. 
 " You cannot say more and will not probably say 
 half as much in your warning as I have al-
 
 28 ftbe Ifnitials. 
 
 ready said, when she was present, to her sister 
 Crescenz." 
 
 " You are incomprehensible," said Zedwitz, 
 shrugging his shoulders, and walking off with a. 
 slight frown on his usually good-humoured coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE WARNING. 
 
 TTAMILTON prided himself upon being an 
 * * excellent skater ; it was, therefore, with no 
 little satisfaction that he perceived, the next day, 
 that he had been followed to the lake by the 
 Rosenberg and Hoffmann families no sooner, 
 however, had Zedwitz seen the former, than his 
 skates were thrown aside a place beside Hilde- 
 garde secured, and he accompanied them home. 
 This occurred several days successively, and 
 Zedwitz at length, on finding that he had regained 
 his former intimacy, ventured to give the pro- 
 posed warning. Hamilton was at the moment 
 sweeping before them, " on sounding skates a 
 thousand different ways," and exhibiting more 
 than usual grace and animation. Zedwitz began 
 judiciously by praising his rival commended 
 his person, his varied information and talents, 
 the more extraordinary from his extreme youth, 
 and then regretted that he had lost almost all the 
 freshness belonging to his time of life, that his
 
 Gbe TWarnfng. 29 
 
 ideas were altogether those of a man of the 
 world, that the society of an elder brother, 
 an accomplished vaurien, had evidently been 
 of great disadvantage to him, and had given 
 him opinions, especially with respect to 
 women, which were dangerous in the extreme. 
 Hildegarde had listened with a composure so 
 nearly verging on indifference, that Zedwitz, al- 
 most reassured, regretted having said so much, 
 and had she continued silent, would have, per- 
 haps, softened his last remark, but she looked up 
 suddenly, and said with her usual energy, " Mr. 
 Hamilton has never spoken of his brother to me, 
 therefore I know nothing about him. You are, 
 however, mistaken as to his opinion of women 
 he thinks much more highly of them than men 
 generally do, and that he likes their society is 
 evident by his remaining so much at home with 
 us. Mamma says she never knew any young 
 man so perfectly well-educated, and so excellent 
 in every respect." 
 
 Zedwitz was not aware of the peculiarity in 
 Hildegarde's disposition which led her invariably 
 to defend the absent ; he was, therefore, greatly 
 vexed, and with difficulty stammered, " And you 
 you perhaps think equally highly of him ? " 
 
 " Perhaps I do the more I know him, the 
 better I like him," replied Hildegarde, bluntly. 
 
 " I am answered," murmured Zedwitz, biting 
 his lip, " my warning comes too late he knew it 
 when he gave me leave to speak."
 
 30 Cbe Unitfate. 
 
 " Who gave you leave ? What warning ? * 
 asked Hildegarde, quickly. 
 
 Zedwitz had gone too far to recede, and he 
 now became perfectly explicit. Hildegarde 
 again listened calmly, and when he ceased, ob- 
 served half reproachfully, " When Mr. Hamilton 
 speaks of you, it is not to warn me but let us 
 pass over that. I must, however, tell you that 
 you have not in your warning said anything 
 which I have not already heard from him- 
 self." 
 
 " That 's it ! " cried Zedwitz, with ill-concealed 
 impatience, " he acted honourably in putting you 
 on your guard, but he now considers himself at 
 liberty to win your affections if he can ! " 
 
 Hildegarde seemed struck by this remark, and 
 walked on in silence. Zedwitz excused himself 
 for having spoken against his friend on the plea 
 of jealousy, and then urged his own cause with 
 great fervour. While thus speaking, they had 
 taken a wrong turn, and were loudly recalled by 
 Madame Rosenberg, " who wondered what on 
 earth they could have been thinking about ! " 
 Zedwitz had no opportunity of renewing the con- 
 versation, but he was apparently satisfied on 
 finding that she was not displeased. 
 
 When Hamilton returned home that evening, 
 Hildegarde was at the Hoffmann's ; she had not 
 visited them for a long time, and on her return, 
 he inquired with extreme affability after each 
 member of the family, cousin Oscar included.
 
 Gbe Warning. 31 
 
 She seated herself as far distant from him as 
 possible, and while answering his questions 
 seemed to think more of a coloured wool, which 
 she was arranging in a basket, than of what she 
 was saying. 
 
 " Did your cousin read for you this evening ?" 
 asked Hamilton, moving his chair towards her. 
 
 " No, he tried a quantity of new music which 
 Marie had just received. Crescenz, do tell me 
 how you distinguish your greens at night ? They 
 all appear blue to me ! " 
 
 " The names and numbers are pinned on each 
 colour," replied Crescenz, pushing forward her 
 neatly arranged basket for inspection. 
 
 Major Stultz said something about young 
 women of orderly habits making good wives, 
 which she did not seem to hear, but when Ham- 
 ilton in returning the basket observed, that the 
 colours were so judiciously arranged, that they 
 reminded him of a rainbow, a smile of childish 
 delight brightened her youthful features and 
 made her look so pretty, that he playfully held 
 back the basket, and began a series of questions 
 on the different colours, exhibiting an excess of 
 ignorance on the subject which seemed to amuse 
 her infinitely more than Major Stultz, who first 
 drummed on the table, then pushed back his 
 chair, and finally told her somewhat testily, that 
 " she was preventing Mr. Hamilton from reading 
 his newspaper." 
 
 Hamilton understood the hint, and resigned
 
 32 Gbe Unittals. 
 
 the basket with a slight laugh ; Crescenz blushed, 
 and, with evident displeasure, followed Major 
 Stultz to another table, where he proposed read- 
 ing her the letters which he had that day 
 received from Nuremberg. 
 
 Hamilton drew his chair close to Hildegarde's, 
 while he observed, " I am very glad that you 
 have no one who has a right to forbid your speak- 
 ing to me." 
 
 Hildegarde bent over her work for a minute, 
 and then looking up asked abruptly, " What sort 
 of a person is your eldest brother ? " 
 
 " The best-natured fellow in the world, good- 
 looking, and amusing. You would be sure to 
 like him, if you could pardon his speaking the 
 most execrable French imaginable." 
 
 " Is he amiable ? " 
 
 " Amiable ? oh, very amiable ! " 
 
 " And not a vaurien ? " 
 
 " Tant soitpeu" said Hamilton, laughing, " but 
 not half so bad as your cousin Raimund." 
 
 " Is he much older than you ? " 
 
 " Several years ; but may I ask why my brother 
 has so suddenly become an object of interest to 
 you ? " 
 
 " He does not interest me in the least," began 
 Hildegarde, but at that moment, Hamilton, 
 whose hand had been wandering through the 
 entangled skeins of wool in her basket, suddenly 
 drew forth a small book which had been con- 
 cealed beneath them ; her first impulse was to
 
 Warning. 33 
 
 prevent his opening it, but she changed her mind, 
 and though blushing deeply, continued to work 
 without uttering a syllable. 
 
 Hamilton turned over the leaves for some 
 minutes in silence. " Who recommended you to 
 read the works of Georges Sand ? " he asked, as 
 he placed the book beside her on the table. 
 
 " Oscar ; he told me they were interesting, and 
 extremely well written." 
 
 " They are both the one and the other, and 
 yet nothing would have induced me to advise 
 you to read them, especially this volume. I am 
 surprised you did not yourself perceive that it 
 was not suited for a person of your age or " 
 
 " Pshaw ! " cried Hildegarde, impatiently. 
 " Mamma wishes me to read French that I may 
 not forget the language ; the best writers of the 
 day are, of course, the best for that purpose, and 
 Oscar says all French novels are more or less of 
 this description. He told me that I need not 
 have any scruples, for that these works were 
 written by a woman, and might therefore be read 
 by one." 
 
 " So, then, you had scruples ? " 
 
 " I have none at present," said Hildegarde, 
 taking up the volume, " besides," she added, 
 drawing her chair close to the table, " I positively 
 must know whether or not the heroine marries 
 the young poet." 
 
 " Marry ! " cried Hamilton, laughing, ironi- 
 cally, " there is not one word of marriage in the 
 
 VOL. II. 3
 
 34 be fnfttals. 
 
 whole book that would be much too unpoetical. 
 I can hardly, however, imagine that this heroine 
 really interests you a heroine whose thoughts 
 and reasonings are those of a woman who has 
 plunged into the whirlpool of earthly pleasures, 
 and from satiety learned to despise them. I wish 
 it were any of the other works of Sand, or or 
 that, for your sake Madame Dudevant had been 
 less gloriously graphical in some parts of her 
 work. If," he added, half inquiringly, " if you 
 merely read to know the end of the story, it is 
 easily told ; the events are few, and I am ready 
 to relate them to you." 
 
 " Oscar has a much higher opinion of my in- 
 tellect than you have," observed Hildegarde, 
 slowly turning over the leaves ; " he says my 
 character is so decidedly formed, that I may 
 read, without danger, whatever I please." 
 
 " That was gross flattery," said Hamilton, " for 
 no girl of seventeen can read a work of this de- 
 scription without danger. The religious specula- 
 tions alone make it unfit for you but stay, I 
 can prove it ; read half a dozen pages aloud for 
 me where you please ; the chances are in my 
 favour that I prove myself right." 
 
 " It is not exactly adapted for reading aloud," 
 said Hildegarde with some embarrassment. 
 
 " That is an infallible criterion by which you 
 may know what to read for the next ten years," 
 said Hamilton. 
 
 " But I dare say I could find many parts which 
 I should have no objection to read aloud."
 
 ilbc Struggle. 35 
 
 " Read then," said Hamilton, with a provoking 
 smile. 
 
 Hildegarde began. " The style at least is fault- 
 less," she observed, at the end of a few minutes. 
 
 " Perfect," said Hamilton ; " but go on." 
 
 She continued. By degrees her voice became 
 less firm ; a deep blush overspread her face ; 
 she turned away her head from him, and his eyes 
 rested on her small and now perfectly crimson 
 ear, and yet she persevered until the words 
 almost seemed to suffocate her, when, throwing 
 down the book, she exclaimed, " You were right. 
 I will not read any more of it, nor any of the 
 others recommended by Oscar." 
 
 " May I write you a list ? " asked Hamilton, 
 eagerly. 
 
 " Pray do," cried Hildegarde, turning round. 
 " I promise to read them all." 
 
 A leaf was hastily torn out of his pocket-book, 
 a pencil carefully pointed, and two hours scarcely 
 sufficed to bring this most simple business to a 
 satisfactory conclusion, so various were the obser- 
 vations and discussions to which it gave rise. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE STRUGGLE. 
 
 following Sunday Hamilton saw the whole 
 Rosenberg family, with the exception of 
 Hildegarde, walking in the English Gardens. It 
 appeared odd that she should have remained at
 
 36 tfbe "ffntttals. 
 
 home when her father was present, and he, for a 
 moment, thought of asking the reason ; on con- 
 sideration, the hope of finding her alone made 
 him turn his horse's head directly homeward, 
 and, on riding into the yard, he looked up to 
 her window, expecting, as usual, to find her there 
 ready to greet him and admire his horse but 
 not a human being was visible ; even his servant, 
 not expecting his return so early, had disappeared, 
 and he was obliged to lead his horse into the 
 stable himself. He entered the house by the 
 back staircase, visited all the rooms, and even 
 the kitchen, but found all deserted. Madame 
 Rosenberg's room was also unoccupied, but 
 through the partly open door of it he saw Hilde- 
 garde sitting on the sofa in the drawing-room, 
 reading so intently that she was perfectly uncon- 
 scious of his presence. The deep folds of her 
 dark-blue merino dress, with its closely-fitting 
 body, gave a more than usual elegance to her 
 tall, slight figure, as she bent in profile over her 
 book, and Hamilton stood in silent admiration, 
 unconsciously twisting his riding-whip round his 
 wrist, until his eyes rested for the second time 
 on the book which she held in her hand. He 
 started, hesitated, then hastily strode forward 
 and stood before her. Doubt and uncertainty 
 were still depicted on his countenance as Hilde- 
 garde looked up ; but her dismay, her deep 
 blush, and the childish action of placing the 
 hand containing the volume behind her, were a
 
 tbc Struggle. 37 
 
 confirmation of his fears that she was reading 
 the forbidden work. " Excuse me for inter- 
 rupting you," he said, with a forced smile ; " but 
 I really cannot believe the evidence of my own 
 eyes, and must request you to let me look at that 
 book for a moment." 
 
 "No, you shall not," she answered, leaning 
 back on the sofa, and becoming very pale while 
 she added, " It is very disagreeable being startled 
 and interrupted in this manner. I thought you 
 told mamma you would meet her at Neuber- 
 hausen." 
 
 " Very true ; perhaps I may meet her there ; 
 but before I go I must and will see that book. 
 On it depends my future opinion of you." 
 
 " You shall not see it," cried Hildegarde, the 
 colour again returning to her face. 
 
 " The book," said Hamilton, seizing firmly 
 her disengaged hand. " The book, or the name 
 of it ! " 
 
 " Neither ; let me go ! " cried Hildegarde, 
 struggling to disengage her hand. 
 
 Like most usually quiet tempered persons, 
 Hamilton, when once actually roused, lost all 
 command of himself ; he held one of her hands 
 as in a vice, and, when she brought forward the 
 other to accelerate its release, he bent down to 
 read the title of the book, which was immediately 
 thrown on the ground, and the then freed hand 
 descended with such violence on his cheek and 
 ear that for a moment he was perfectly stunned ;
 
 38 tTbe flnftiate. 
 
 and, even after he stood upright, he looked at 
 her for a few seconds in unfeigned astonishment. 
 " Do you think," at length he exclaimed vehe- 
 mently "Do you think that I will allow you 
 to treat me as you did Major Stultz, with impu- 
 nity ? " And then, catching her in his arms, he 
 kissed her repeatedly, and with a violence which 
 seemed to terrify her beyond measure. " I gave 
 you fair warning more than once," he added, 
 when at length he had released her. " I gave 
 you fair warning, and you knew what you had to 
 expect." She covered her face with her hands, 
 and burst into a passion of tears. 
 
 " I cannot imagine," he continued, impetuously 
 walking up and down the room " I cannot 
 imagine why you did not, with your usual cour- 
 age, tell me at once the name of the book, and 
 prevent this scene." 
 
 Hildegarde shook her head, and wept still 
 more bitterly. 
 
 "After all," he said, seating himself with 
 affected calmness opposite to her, leaning his 
 arms on the table, and drumming upon the book, 
 which now lay undisputed between them, " After 
 all, you are not better than other people ! Not 
 more to be trusted than other girls, and I fancied 
 you such perfection ! I could have forgiven 
 anything but the the untruth ! " he exclaimed, 
 starting up. " Anything but that ! Pshaw ! 
 yesterday when you told me that the books had 
 been sent back to the library, I believed you
 
 Hbe Struggle. 39 
 
 without a moment's hesitation I thanked you 
 for your deference to my opinion ha, ha, ha ! 
 What a fool you must have thought me ! " 
 
 Hildegarde looked up. All expression of 
 humility had left her features, her tears ceased 
 to flow, and, as she rose to leave the room, she 
 turned almost haughtily towards him, while 
 saying : 
 
 " I really do not know what right you have to 
 speak to me in this manner. I consider it very 
 great presumption on your part, and desire it may 
 never occur again." 
 
 " You may be quite sure I shall never offend 
 you in this way again," he said holding the book 
 towards her. " What a mere farce the writing 
 of that list of books was ! " 
 
 " No, for I had intended to have read all you 
 recommended." 
 
 " And all I recommended you to avoid, too ! 
 This this, which you tacitly promised not to 
 
 finish " He stopped ; for, while she took the 
 
 book in silence, she blushed so deeply, and 
 seemed so embarrassed, that he_ added sorrow- 
 fully, " Oh, how I regret having come home ! 
 How I wish I had not discovered that you could 
 deceive me ! " 
 
 " I have not deceived you," said Hildegarde. 
 
 Hamilton shook his head, and glanced toward 
 the subject of dispute. 
 
 " Appearances are against me, and yet I re- 
 peat I have not deceived you. The books were
 
 40 be fnitials. 
 
 sent to the library yesterday evening but 
 
 too late to be changed. Old Hans brought 
 them back again, and I found them in my room 
 when I went to bed. I did not read them last 
 night." 
 
 " But you stayed at home for the purpose 
 to-day," observed Hamilton, reproachfully. 
 
 " No ; my mother gave the servants leave to 
 go out for the whole day, and as she did not like 
 to leave the house unoccupied, she asked me to 
 remain at home. I, of course, agreed to" do so ; 
 without, I assure you, thinking of those hateful 
 books. I do not mean to I cannot justify what 
 I have done. I can only say in extenuation that 
 the temptation was great. I have been alone for 
 more than two hours my father's books are 
 locked up. I never enter your room when you 
 are absent, and I wished to know the end of the 
 story which still interests and haunts me in spite 
 of all my endeavours to forget it. The book lay 
 before me ; I resisted long, but at last I opened 
 it ; and so and so " 
 
 " And so, I suppose, I must acknowledge that 
 I have judged you too harshly," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I do not care about your judgment. I have 
 fallen in my own esteem since I find that I can- 
 not resist temptation." 
 
 " And is my good opinion of no value to you ? " 
 
 " It was, perhaps ; but it has lost all worth 
 within the last half-hour." 
 
 " How do you mean ?"
 
 Gbe Struggle. 41 
 
 " I have seen you in the course of that time 
 suspicious, rough, and what you would yourself 
 call ungentlemanlike." 
 
 " A pretty catalogue of faults for one short 
 half-hour ! " exclaimed Hamilton, biting his lips. 
 
 " You were the last person from whom I should 
 have expected such treatment," continued Hil- 
 degarde, while the tears started to her eyes, and 
 her voice faltered, " the very last ; and though 
 I did get into a passion and give you a blow, it 
 was not until you had hurt my wrist and pro- 
 voked me beyond endurance." She left the room 
 and walked quickly down the passage. 
 
 " Stay," cried Hamilton, following her, " stay, 
 and hear my excuses." 
 
 " Excuses ! You have not even one to offer," 
 said Hildegarde, laying her hand on the lock of 
 her door. 
 
 " Hear me at least," he said eagerly. " I could 
 not endure the thought of your being one jot less 
 perfect than I had imagined you that made me 
 suspicious ; the wish for proof made me rough ; 
 and though I cannot exactly justify my subse- 
 quent conduct, I plead in extenuation your own 
 words, 'the temptation was great.' ' 
 
 Hildegarde's dimples showed that a smile was 
 with difficulty repressed, and Hamilton, taking 
 courage, whispered hurriedly, " But one word 
 more hear my last and best excuse ; it is, that I 
 love you, deeply, passionately ; but I need not 
 tell you this, for you must have known it long,
 
 42 be flnltials. 
 
 long ago. Hildegarde, say only that our per- 
 petual quarrels have not made you absolutely 
 hate me ! " 
 
 Hildegarde, without uttering a word more, im- 
 petuously drew back her hand, sprang into her 
 room, and locked the door. He waited for a 
 minute or two, and then knocked, but received 
 no answer. " Hildegarde," he cried, reproach- 
 fully, " Is this right is this kind ? Even if you 
 dislike me, I have a right to expect an answer." 
 
 " Go," she said, in a very low voice; "go 
 away. You ought not to be here when I am 
 alone." 
 
 " Why did you not think of that before ? " 
 
 " I don't know. I had not time. I " 
 
 " Nonsense. Open the door, and let me speak 
 to you for a moment." 
 
 No answer, but he thought he heard her walk- 
 ing up and down the room. 
 
 " Only one moment," he repeated. 
 " I cannot, indeed I cannot. Pray go away." 
 He retired slowly to his room ; even before he 
 reached it he had become conscious of the ab- 
 surdity of his conduct, and the prudence of hers. 
 That she no longer disliked him, he was pretty 
 certain ; that she had so discreetly avoided a con- 
 fession of other feelings was better for both, as 
 it enabled them to continue their intercourse on 
 the same terms, while the acknowledgment of a 
 participation in his affection would have sub- 
 jected her to great annoyances, and placed him
 
 Struggle. 43 
 
 in a most embarrassing situation. He was angry 
 with himself recollected, with shame, that he 
 had repeated the error which he had so much 
 cause to regret on a former occasion, and men- 
 tally repenting his own loquaciousness and re- 
 joicing at Hildegarde's taciturnity, he resolved 
 never to refer to the subject again. A ring of the 
 bell at the entrance-door induced him to stop 
 and await her appearance. She did not answer 
 the summons, and it was repeated, accompanied 
 by a few familiar taps on the door Still she did 
 not move. Again the bell was rung ; the knocks 
 became louder, as if administered by some hard 
 instrument, and finally her name was loudly and 
 distinctly pronounced. 
 
 " I am coming, papa," she cried at last, run- 
 ning forward, and opening the door precipitately. 
 
 Count Raimund sprang into the passage, closed 
 the door with his shoulder, leaned upon it, and 
 burst into a fit of laughter at the dismay legible 
 on the features of his cousin. 
 
 "Oscar," she began, seriously, "you must 
 come some other day, Mamma is not at home, 
 and I have been left to " 
 
 " I know, I know," he cried, interrupting her. 
 " I saw them all in the English Gardens your 
 chevalier Hamilton, too, galloping about like a 
 madman; and for this reason, my most dear and 
 beautiful cousin, I have come here now, hoping 
 for once to see you alone. Do not look so 
 alarmed, I am only come to claim the advice
 
 44 tTbe Initials. 
 
 which you promised to give me on the most 
 important event of my life." 
 
 " Not now, not now," said Hildegarde, glanc- 
 ing furtively towards the end of the passage, 
 where, in the shadow of his door, she distin- 
 guished Hamilton's figure leaning with folded 
 arms against the wall; " some other time, Oscar." 
 
 " What other time ? I never see you for a 
 moment alone even at the Hoffmanns, although 
 my good Marie is too rational to bore me with 
 useless jealousy, does not her deaf old mother 
 watch every movement and intercept every 
 glance with her cold, grey, suspicious eyes ? I 
 sometimes wish the old lady were blind instead 
 of deaf, she would be infinitely less troublesome." 
 
 " Oh, Oscar ! " 
 
 " Conceive my being doomed to live in the 
 vicinity of such eyes, dearest creature, and you 
 will pity me, at least ! " 
 
 " You are not in the least to be pitied for 
 the Hoffmanns are most amiable," said Hilde- 
 garde, hurriedly. " But now I expect you will 
 leave me." 
 
 " Expect no such thing ! On the contrary, I 
 expect you will invite me to enter this room," he 
 replied, advancing boldly towards her. 
 
 " If you enter that room," said Hildegarde, 
 sternly. I shall leave you there, and take refuge 
 with Madame de Hoffmann, who, I know, is now 
 at home." 
 
 " Don't be angry, dearest, all places are alike
 
 Gbe Struggle. 45 
 
 to me where you are. All places are alike to me 
 where I may tell you without reserve that I 
 love you more than ever one cousin loved an- 
 other." 
 
 "The time is ill chosen for jesting, Oscar ; I 
 never felt less disposed to enjoy anything of the 
 kind than at this moment." 
 
 " Indeed ! then let me tell you seriously that 
 I love you to distraction." 
 
 " Oscar, even in jest I do not choose to hear 
 such nonsense." 
 
 " By heaven, I am not jesting." 
 
 " Then, betrothed as you now are, your words 
 are a crime." 
 
 " Be it so ; there is, however, no crime I should 
 hesitate to commit were you to be obtained by it. 
 As to breaking my engagement with Marie, that 
 is a trifle not worth considering ; but what am I 
 likely to obtain by doing so ? " 
 
 " Dishonour," said Hildegarde, firmly and 
 calmly. 
 
 " Hildegarde," he exclaimed, fiercely, " do not 
 affect a coldness which you cannot feel ; do not 
 drive me to madness. My love must not be 
 trifled with ; it is of no rational every-day kind, 
 but violent as my nature, and desperate as my 
 fortunes." 
 
 " That is," thought Hamilton, " exactly what 
 she wished. If he continue in this strain she 
 will not shut the door in his face. But I have 
 had enough of this raving, and will no longer
 
 46 Sbe Untttals. 
 
 constrain her by my presence." He entered the 
 room, and closed the door. 
 
 For more than half an hour he impatiently 
 paced backwards and forwards, stopping only 
 when he heard Raimund's voice suddenly raised. 
 At length he thought he heard a stifled scream, 
 and rushed to the door, scarcely knowing what 
 he feared or expected. Hildegarde was holding 
 her cousin's arm with both hands, while she 
 exclaimed, " For heaven's sake, Oscar, do not 
 frighten me so horribly." 
 
 A loud ringing of the house-bell, and the sound 
 of many voices on the stairs, seemed to be a 
 relief to her, while Raimund appeared consider- 
 ably agitated. " Hide me in your room, Hilde- 
 garde ; I am lost if the Hoffmanns find me here." 
 
 " And what is to become of me should you be 
 found there ? " she asked, while a deadly pale- 
 ness overspread her features, and she irresolutely 
 placed her hand on the lock of the door, then 
 glanced down the passage, and beckoning Rai- 
 mund to follow, she led the way to Hamilton's 
 room. " Mr. Hamilton," she said, with a trem- 
 bling voice, " will you allow Oscar to remain a few 
 minutes in your room, and when no one is in the 
 passage, have the goodness to open the door 
 leading to the back staircase for him ? " 
 
 " The part which you have assigned me in this 
 comedy, mademoiselle, is by no means agreeable, 
 but I will not be the means of causing you 
 embarrassment ; Count Raimund may easily be
 
 Gbe Struggle. 47 
 
 supposed to have voluntarily visited me, and there 
 is no necessity for a retreat by the back staircase, 
 unless he have some motive for wishing to give 
 his visit an air of mystery." 
 
 " Ah, very true," said Hildegarde, in a hurried, 
 confused manner, while she moved aside to let 
 her cousin pass. 
 
 Hamilton's speech made more impression on 
 Raimund ; he looked furious, and seemed to 
 hesitate whether or not to enter the room. Again 
 the bell rang, and Hildegarde was in the act of 
 springing forward, when Raimund caught her 
 arm, and while a fearful frown contracted his 
 brows, with closed teeth, and in the low voice of 
 suppressed rage, he whispered, " One word ; is it 
 Zedwitz ? or or " he looked towards Hamil- 
 ton. 
 
 Hildegarde's face became crimson, she flung 
 off his detaining hand, and ran to the hall-door, 
 which she threw wide open, leaving him to re- 
 treat precipitately into Hamilton's room, where, 
 with folded arms, he strode toward the window, 
 after having murmured the words, " Sorry to in- 
 trude in this manner." Hamilton moved a chair 
 towards him ; he sat down for a moment, but the 
 next jumped up, and going to the door, partly 
 opened it, and looked into the passage. 
 
 " I saw Count Raimund enter the house more 
 than half an hour ago," observed a very loud 
 voice, which Hamilton recognised as Madame de 
 Hoffmann's, " and as I knew you were all out
 
 48 Gbe flnitiate. 
 
 walking, and only Mademoiselle Hildegarde at 
 home, I expected to see him leave it again im- 
 mediately." 
 
 " I think, mamma, you must have been mis- 
 taken," said Mademoiselle de Hoffmann, putting 
 her mouth close to her mother's ear. 
 
 " I have the misfortune to be somewhat deaf, 
 Marie, but my eyes are as good as yours, 
 and with these eyes I saw him enter this 
 house." 
 
 " You are quite right," said Raimund, advanc- 
 ing with the easiest manner and most uncon- 
 cerned smile imaginable. " I knew that Marie 
 had gone out with Madame Rosenberg, and not 
 imagining that my future mother-in-law could 
 be so much interested in my movements, I ven- 
 tured, without informing her of my intentions, to 
 visit my friend Hamilton." 
 
 " But Mr. Hamilton is out riding," cried Mad- 
 ame de Hoffmann. 
 
 " Perhaps he was out riding, but I have had 
 the good fortune to find him at home, neverthe- 
 less." 
 
 " Then he must have come up the other stair- 
 case, or I should have seen him through the 
 slit in our door, where I watched you walking 
 upstairs." 
 
 "Very possibly," said Raimund, contemp- 
 tuously. 
 
 " Marie," said Madame de Hoffmann, in what 
 she intended for a whisper, but which was audi-
 
 Struggle. 49 
 
 ble to all, " Marie, my child, I don't believe a 
 word of all this. The Englishman is no more in 
 the house than the man in the moon." 
 
 " Confound your suspicions," muttered Rai- 
 mund, angrily. " I suppose, then," he added 
 with a frown, " I shall be obliged, in order to 
 satisfy you, to ask Mr. Hamilton to show himself 
 to the assembled household." 
 
 He seemed, however, so very unwilling to make 
 the request, that Madame de Hoffmann's sus- 
 picions received confirmation ; she turned from 
 him, saying, with a laugh of derision, " Perhaps 
 Hildegarde can assist you in making him appear! " 
 
 Her words acted like a charm. Hamilton, 
 who had been an immovable listener of all that 
 had passed, no sooner heard her name mentioned, 
 than he mechanically rose, and taking his hat 
 and whip, issued forth. He forced a smile as he 
 passed the Hoffmanns and Madame Rosenberg, 
 which, on approaching Hildegarde, changed into 
 an expression of contempt that neither her 
 swelled and tearful eyelids nor her excessive 
 paleness could mitigate. 
 
 After his return home, he remained in his 
 room until supper was announced, and even then 
 delayed some minutes, to insure Madame Rosen- 
 berg's being in the drawing-room when he 
 reached it. She was endeavouring to persuade 
 Hildegarde to leave the stove, near which she 
 was sitting with closed eyes, leaning her head in 
 her hands. 
 
 VOL. II. 4
 
 50 Cbe initials. 
 
 " If you would only eat your supper, Hilde- 
 garde, it would quite cure your headache, which 
 is probably caused by your having spent the day 
 in a heated room. Next time I shall leave old 
 Hans in charge of the house, for had you been 
 out walking with us as usual, you would have had 
 no headache, I am sure. Don't you think so too, 
 Mr. Hamilton ? " 
 
 " I think it very probable," he answered, seat- 
 ing himself beside Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 " And don't you think if she took some soup 
 she would be better ? " 
 
 "Perhaps." 
 
 " Hildegarde, I insist on your trying it or go 
 to bed at once. You make your head worse by 
 sitting so close to the stove." 
 
 Hildegarde, without speaking, moved to the 
 vacant chair at the other side of Hamilton, and 
 slowly and reluctantly sipped a few mouthfuls of 
 soup. 
 
 By some singular anomaly, Hamilton found 
 himself suddenly in remarkably high spirits he 
 looked at Hildegarde, and congratulating himself 
 on being free from thraldom, gazed with a gay 
 smile on her pale features until they were suffused 
 with red, and great was his triumph to feel and 
 know that there was no sympathetic blush on his 
 own countenance. He told Madame Rosenberg 
 of an engagement he had made with Zedwitz to 
 accompany him to Edelhof on the following 
 morning, to attend the marriage of his sister, and
 
 Struggle. 51 
 
 requested to have his breakfast at an early hour 
 the next day. 
 
 " And you intend to remain away a whole fort- 
 night ! How we shall miss you ! " cried Madame 
 Rosenberg. 
 
 "You are very kind to say so," replied Hamil- 
 ton, laughing. 
 
 " And I think so too, though you seem to 
 doubt me. You know I like you better than any 
 of the Englishmen I have had in my house. Cap- 
 tain Black was not to be compared to you, nor 
 Mr. Smith, either, although he used to tell me 
 so often that he was noble even without a von 
 before his name, and that he could be made a 
 chamberlain here if he wished it, as he was 
 related to the Duke of Buckel, 1 which always 
 appeared to me such an odd name for a duke 
 that I was half inclined to doubt there being any 
 such person." 
 
 " We have a Duke of Buccleugh " began 
 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " Very likely he pronounced it that way ; I am 
 sure I heard it often enough to know, but I never 
 can learn an English word until I see it written ; 
 and never should have learned his name if he 
 had not constantly left his cards lying about on 
 the tables ; I dare say I shall find some of them 
 in the card-basket still." She commenced a dili- 
 
 1 Buckel means in German back, or more generally 
 humpback. It seems that Madame Rosenberg took it in 
 the latter sense.
 
 52 Gbe Initials. 
 
 gent search while speaking, and soon held up a 
 card on which was printed in large German letters 
 the name of Mr. Howard Seymour Scott Smith. 
 
 " He used to sometimes say that the last word 
 ought to be left out, for that his real name was 
 Scott." 
 
 " Perhaps he inherited property with the name 
 of Smith ? " 
 
 " No ; he said something about a marriage 
 certificate having been lost that before he was 
 born there was great irregularity in such things 
 in England." 
 
 Hamilton laughed. 
 
 " Is it not true ? " asked Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 " Oh, very possibly." 
 
 "He told us, too, that in Scotland people 
 could be married without any certificate of birth, 
 baptism, or confirmation without even the con- 
 sent of their friends. Franz says this is a fact, 
 and that the existence of such a law is a great 
 temptation to thoughtless young people." 
 
 " I have no doubt it is," replied Hamilton ; 
 " I would not answer for myself were I led into 
 temptation. A great-uncle of mine made a mar- 
 riage of this kind and it proved a very happy 
 one his friends, to provide for him quickly^ 
 used all their interest to send him out to India, 
 where he made an enormous fortune, and as he 
 has no children, has been, ever since his return, 
 a sort of lawgiver in our family. I should not 
 have been here now, if old Uncle Jack had not
 
 Struggle. 53 
 
 said that travelling was necessary to make me a 
 man of the world, and that in Germany alone I 
 could learn to speak the German well. 
 
 "But, "said Madame Rosenberg, "this mar- 
 riage was a fortunate exception, for," she added, 
 with sundry winks and blinks towards Hilde- 
 garde, " for marriages against the consent of 
 relations seldom or never turn out well. Let me 
 give you some more salad, and then, as you are 
 to leave so early to-morrow, I may as well pack 
 up your things to-night." 
 
 " By no means," cried Hamilton, " I must beg 
 of you to send for Hans." 
 
 " Oh, young Hans is much too awkward, and 
 the old man is gone to bed hours ago. I have 
 been thinking, if you intendto keep Hans, that I 
 will begin to teach him to be handy, and instead 
 of Hildegarde's arranging your linen, he must 
 learn to do it from this time forward." 
 
 " That would be very kind of you," said Ham- 
 ilton. 
 
 " For the sewing on of buttons, and all that," 
 continued Madame Rosenberg, delighted at the 
 idea of giving instruction, "he must of course 
 still apply to you, Hildegarde." 
 
 Hildegarde, who had been leaning back on her 
 chair, diligently puckering and plaiting her 
 pocket-handkerchief, looked up for a moment, 
 and replied : 
 
 " Yes, mamma." 
 
 " I shall send for Hans, and give him his first
 
 54 tTbe ffnftiate. 
 
 lessons to-night," said Madame Rosenberg mov- 
 ing towards the door. 
 
 " Wait a moment and I can accompany you," 
 cried Hamilton, quickly, " I shall be ready 
 directly." 
 
 " Don't hurry yourself," said Madame Rosen- 
 berg ; " you will have time enough before Hans 
 comes up ; and I must first see if Peppy has 
 fallen asleep, and if he is properly covered. 
 Don't hurry yourself." 
 
 Why did Hamilton bend over his plate ? and 
 why did the colour mount to his temples as the 
 door closed ? Did he begin to entertain doubts 
 of his indifference, or did he dread an explana- 
 tion with Hildegarde ? He scarcely knew him- 
 self, but he felt uncomfortable, and gave himself 
 a quantity of trouble to prevent his companion 
 from observing it. 
 
 The distant roll of carriages had already in- 
 formed them that the opera was over ; but it was 
 not until the sound of voices in the usually quiet 
 street had made the immediate return of her 
 father, sister, and Major Stultz probable, that 
 Hildegarde summoned courage to say, in a very 
 low voice, and without looking up, " What must 
 you think of me " 
 
 " Do you wish to know what I think of you ? " 
 asked Hamilton, with affected negligence. 
 
 " Yes ; but do not again judge too harshly." 
 
 " I think," he said, facing her deliberately, 
 ''I think you are very beautiful."
 
 Struggle. 55 
 
 " Pshaw ! " cried Hildegarde, pushing back 
 her chair angrily, " I expected a very different 
 answer." 
 
 " Something different," said Hamilton, in the 
 same tone. " Something about distraction and 
 committing crimes, perhaps." 
 
 " What occurred to-day is no subject for a 
 jest," she said seriously. 
 
 " So I thought a few hours ago, also," said 
 Hamilton ; " but now the whole affair appears to 
 me rather amusing than otherwise. Perhaps, 
 however, your cousin alone is privileged to speak 
 to you in this manner, in which case you must 
 pardon me for endeavouring to recollect what he 
 said ; but it was so well received that " 
 
 " It was not well received ! " cried Hildegarde, 
 interrupting him. " You know it was not ; and 
 I am ready," she added, after a pause, " ready to 
 repeat to you every word of our conversation." 
 
 " Thank you," said Hamilton, coldly, " but I 
 have already heard enough to enable me to im- 
 agine the remainder." 
 
 " Perhaps," said Hildegarde, hurriedly, " per- 
 haps you heard and saw " 
 
 " I heard a declaration of love after the most 
 approved form, a proposal to commit any crime 
 or crimes likely to render him interesting and 
 acceptable to you. I remembered to have once 
 heard you tell your father that you wished to be 
 the object of a love of this kind ; but I did not 
 wait to hear your answers, it was your half-sup-
 
 56 Ebe Tfnitiale. 
 
 pressed scream which made me foolishly imagine 
 you wished for my presence. When I saw you I 
 perceived at once my mistake, and returned to 
 my room." 
 
 " Then you did not see the the dagger " 
 
 " What dagger ? " asked Hamilton, his curiosity 
 excited in spite of himself. 
 
 " Oscar's dagger he threatened to stab him- 
 self ! " 
 
 " Ha, ha, ha ! " laughed Hamilton. " I really 
 did not think him capable of acting so absurdly 
 I gave him credit for too much knowledge of 
 the world to treat you to such an insipid scene." 
 
 " Then you do not think he was serious ! " 
 
 " I am sure he was not. The dagger was pur- 
 posely brought for effect. He has proved him- 
 self an excellent actor to-day tragic as well as 
 comic, it seems." 
 
 " It was cruel of him deliberately to frighten 
 me," said Hildegarde, thoughtfully. 
 
 " It was unpardonable inexcusable his doing 
 so," cried Hamilton, " for he thought you were 
 alone, and took advantage of finding you unpro- 
 tected." 
 
 " Most men take advantage of finding us un- 
 protected. After the events of to-day I may say 
 all men do so," replied Hildegarde, with so much 
 reproachful meaning in her glance that Hamilton 
 rose from his seat and began to perambulate the 
 room, occasionally stopping to lean on the stove, 
 until her father's voice and approaching steps
 
 Departure. 57 
 
 made him suddenly move forward towards her, 
 as if he expected her to speak again. She re- 
 mained, however, silent and motionless ; and at 
 length, overcome by a mixture of anxiety and 
 curiosity, and with an ineffectual effort to appear 
 indifferent, he said quickly, " I thought you 
 were going to tell me what you said that could 
 have given your cousin an excuse for producing 
 a dagger." 
 
 " You did not choose to hear when I was will- 
 ing to tell you ; and now - " 
 
 Here Madame Rosenberg entered the room, 
 and Hildegarde rose, saying, "that her head 
 ached intolerably, and she would now go to bed." 
 
 " Good-night ! " said Hamilton. " I hope 
 your headache will be cured by a long sleep, and 
 that you will be quite well when we meet again." 
 
 " Thank you ; before that time I shall most 
 probably have altogether forgotten it," said Hil- 
 degarde. 
 
 That means, thought Hamilton, she will not 
 pour out my coffee to-morrow at breakfast. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE DEPARTURE. 
 
 TTILDEGARDE did not appear the next 
 
 morning, and Hamilton breakfasted with 
 
 Madame Rosenberg sitting opposite to him in a
 
 58 tTbe flnitfals. 
 
 striped red and white dressing-gown ; her hair, 
 as usual, twisted up to the very roots with hair- 
 pins, to prepare curls which, however, seldom 
 made their appearance at home, excepting 
 on the evenings which the Hoffmanns spent 
 with her. She sat opposite to him, and watched 
 while he vainly endeavoured to improve his 
 coffee by adding alternately cream and sugar. 
 "One never enjoys a breakfast at this early 
 hour," she observes at length, " the coffee 
 is, however, quite as good as usual ; I made it 
 myself." 
 
 " I have no doubt of it," said Hamilton, " but 
 the fact is, I am so accustomed to your daughter 
 Hildegarde's preparing it for me, that I do not 
 know the quantity of cream and sugar necessary 
 by-the-by, I hope her headache is better this 
 morning ? " 
 
 " She said so," replied Madame Rosenberg, 
 "but I found her so feverish, and looking so 
 wretchedly ill, that I have forbidden her getting 
 up until Doctor Berger sees her." 
 
 "You do not apprehend any serious illness, I 
 hope ? " 
 
 " Oh, no but Crescenz tells me that she slept 
 very uneasily had frightful dreams, and at one 
 time during the night fancied someone intended 
 to stab her ! Such an idea ! I suppose," she 
 added, after a pause, " you expect Count Zed- 
 witz to call for you ? " 
 
 " I believe so," said Hamilton, absently.
 
 Departure. 59 
 
 " I am beginning rather to like him," observed 
 Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 Hamilton did not appear to hear her. 
 
 " You are going to a gay house," she added, 
 " at least it will be gay on such an occasion." 
 
 " What occasion?" asked Hamilton, looking up. 
 
 " Why, did you not tell me that the only 
 daughter was going to be married ? And is not 
 a wedding a very gay thing ? " 
 
 " Not always," said Hamilton, " for brides 
 generally shed tears and infect the bridesmaids, 
 and the mamma half faints, and the papa is 
 agitated, and when the bridal party leave, the 
 house is immensely dull, until it fill with new 
 people again. Altogether, a wedding is a very 
 deadly-lively festivity, excepting to the two 
 principal actors." 
 
 " I will prove the contrary," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, " you shall see how gay our wedding 
 will be that is, Crescenz's ! Did I tell you that 
 it must be deferred until the carnival ?" 
 
 " Not a word I thought it was to take place 
 before Christmas." 
 
 " Marriages are seldom or never celebrated 
 before Advent," said Madame Rosenberg, "but 
 at all events, Major Stultz's sister has died sud- 
 denly, and he must leave for Nuremberg to- 
 morrow." 
 
 " I am sorry he has lost his sister," said 
 Hamilton, compassionately. 
 
 "Why, in fact, the loss is rather a gain," said
 
 60 Gbe -ffnttiate. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg. " He knew very little 
 about her she was unmarried, rich, and stingy 
 always on the point of making a fool of her- 
 self by marrying some young student or officer. 
 Now the Major quietly inherits all her property 
 a very pretty addition to what he already has. 
 I told Crescenz yesterday evening that she had 
 drawn a greater prize than she expected." 
 
 " And what did she say ? " 
 
 "Why, not much, but she looked exceedingly 
 pleased her father has told me since that he 
 thinks she is glad that her marriage is put off, and 
 does not care in the least about the money, of 
 which she has not yet learned the value. This 
 may be partly true Crescenz may have no ob- 
 jection to a delay, but she is now quite satisfied 
 with the Major, and has no wish whatever to 
 break off her engagement. Count Raimund has 
 been of great use to her ! " 
 
 " How do you mean ? " asked Hamilton sur- 
 prised. 
 
 " Why, his unpardonable negligence towards 
 Marie de Hoffmann forms a fine contrast to the 
 Major's attention and handsome presents. Cres- 
 cenz is very childish, but she has perceived the 
 difference, nevertheless, and I have not neglected 
 the opportunity to tell her that all young men are 
 careless lovers, and still more careless husbands, 
 and that I am sure she will be much happier 
 when she is married than Marie." 
 
 " The carriage is come ! The carriage is come
 
 Cbe Departure. 61 
 
 for Hamilton ! " cried Peppy, rushing into the 
 room; "and Count Zedwitz is coming up the 
 stairs ! and Crescenz is hiding behind the kit- 
 chen-door ! and Walburg is gone with Gustle to 
 school ! and Dr. Berger is in Hildegarde's room ! 
 and papa is putting on his coat ! and he wants 
 you to come to him ! " 
 
 " Well, have you any more news to tell me 
 before I go ? " said his mother, taking up her 
 bunch of keys from the breakfast-table, " Good 
 morning, Count Zedwitz you must excuse me 
 Dr. Berger is here, and " 
 
 " No one ill, I hope ? " said Zedwitz. 
 
 " Hildegarde is ill," replied Hamilton ; "have 
 you any objection to waiting until we hear what 
 the Doctor says ! " 
 
 "Quite the contrary," said Zedwitz, sitting 
 down, evidently alarmed. 
 
 " In the meantime, I can tell Hans to carry 
 down my luggage," said Hamilton. 
 
 Hans was despatched with the portmanteau, 
 carpet-bag, and dressing-case ; but Hamilton, 
 instead of returning to his friend, watched until 
 Madame Rosenberg and the doctor had left 
 Hildegarde's room, and walked up the passage 
 together. A moment after he was at her door, 
 and had knocked. 
 
 " Come in," said Hildegarde, almost gayly. 
 " I am not so ill as you suppose ! " 
 
 " I am very glad to hear it," said Hamilton, 
 entering as he spoke.
 
 62 Gbe Initials. 
 
 " I I expected papa," said Hildegarde, 
 blushing deeply. 
 
 " I more than half suspected the permission to 
 enter was not intended for me," said Hamilton, 
 " but I really cannot leave you without having 
 obtained pardon for having offended you last 
 night. I cannot quit you for so long a time, 
 without the certainty of your forgiveness." 
 
 " It is granted or rather I have nothing to 
 forgive," replied Hildegarde, " for you were 
 quite right not to listen to my confession, though 
 I remained up on purpose to favour you with it." 
 She had become very pale while speaking, 
 and Hamilton was forcibly reminded of all 
 her long and unwearied attentions to him 
 during his illness. He wondered how he could 
 ever, even for a moment, have forgotten them, 
 and remained lost in thought, until, slightly 
 pointing towards the door, she wished him a 
 pleasant journey and much amusement. Instead 
 of obeying the sign, he walked directly forward, 
 saying, "You must not expect me to believe 
 that I am forgiven until you have told me all I 
 refused to hear yesterday evening." 
 
 " How very unconscionable you are," she said, 
 with a faint smile. "When, however, I tell you 
 that I wish you to leave my room, that I am too 
 ill to talk, I am sure you " 
 
 " Oh, of course, of course," said Hamilton, 
 quite aware of the reasonableness of her demand. 
 " Only one thing you must tell me, and that is,
 
 Hbe Departure. 63 
 
 what you said to Raimund which could induce 
 him to threaten to kill himself." 
 
 " Do not ask me," said Hildegarde, uneasily. 
 
 " But that is exactly what I insist upon know- 
 ing," persisted Hamilton. 
 
 "You said you came to ask forgiveness, but it 
 seems you have fallen into your usual habit of 
 commanding, and " 
 
 " I do not command," cried Hamilton, inter- 
 rupting her, " I do not command ; but," he 
 added, in a very low voice, and approaching still 
 nearer, " I entreat, I entreat you to tell me what 
 you said to him." 
 
 " I reminded him that he was betrothed to my 
 friend," began Hildegarde, slowly and unwill- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Well, well ; and then " 
 
 " And then I said I could not like him 
 otherwise than as a cousin." 
 
 " But surely, situated as he is, he must have 
 expected just such an answer from you. Were 
 he free and independent, you would probably 
 have spoken differently. Did you not console 
 him by telling him so ? " 
 
 Hildegarde remained silent, her eyes almost 
 closed. 
 
 " And if you told him that," continued Hamil- 
 ton, " there was no possible excuse for the dagger- 
 scene ; he might have been despairing, but not 
 desperate, on such an occasion. Tell me, Hil- 
 degarde, did you say that ? "
 
 64 Cbe Untttals. 
 
 " No," she replied, almost in a whisper, " no ; 
 for though I admire Oscar, I do not love him at 
 all." 
 
 " Then you must have said something else ! " 
 
 " You are worrying me," she murmured, with 
 an expression of pain. 
 
 " I see I am," cried Hamilton. " Forgive me, 
 but I must ask one question more. Did he not 
 ask you if you loved another ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Hildegarde, turning away her face, 
 which was once more covered with blushes. 
 
 " And you acknowledged ? " 
 
 " I acknowledged. I confessed my folly, to 
 put an end to the wildest ravings, and most im- 
 practicable schemes imaginable." 
 
 " And you named the object of your prefer- 
 ence ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, no, no ! " 
 
 " Hildegarde," cried Hamilton, hurriedly, " tell 
 me at once answer me quickly, have you chosen 
 Zedwitz ? " 
 
 Hildegarde turned still more away, but did not 
 answer. 
 
 " I understand your silence. You have chosen 
 well and," he added, after a slight struggle, 
 "wisely." 
 
 Hildegarde made an impatient gesture with 
 her hand. 
 
 " Do not mistake me," he continued, eagerly ; 
 "I am convinced your choice has not in the 
 least been influenced by interested motives.
 
 SFbe Departure. 65 
 
 Zedwitz is in every respect worthy of your 
 regard." 
 
 Hildegarde raised herself quickly on her elbow, 
 and seemed about to speak, but the words died 
 on her lips when she perceived Crescenz, who 
 had, as usual, entered the room noiselessly, 
 standing between them. She shrank back, her 
 colour changed several times with frightful 
 rapidity, but her voice, though faint, was per- 
 fectly calm as she requested her sister to close 
 the window-shutters, and every trace of emotion 
 disappeared as her father entering, seated him- 
 self beside her bed, and observed that she 
 looked more like a marble statue than a living 
 person. 
 
 Hamilton was at the moment unable to articu- 
 late ; he shook Mr. Rosenberg's hand, and left 
 the room precipitately. In the drawing-room he 
 found the Doctor assuring Madame Rosenberg 
 that Mademoiselle Hildegarde would be per- 
 fectly well in a day or two. Hamilton, neverthe- 
 less, requested her to write to him, and having 
 obtained a promise, he began to hurry Zedwitz's 
 departure. 
 
 " Does your servant not go with us, Hamil- 
 ton ? " asked Zedwitz. 
 
 " He is to follow with Madame Rosenberg's 
 letter to-morrow. Be sure to bring the letter, 
 Hans ! " said Hamilton, as he wrapped himself 
 in his cloak, and sank back in the corner of the 
 carriage. 
 
 VOL. II. 5
 
 66 Cbe Untttals. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE LONG DAY. 
 
 TJ AMILTON could not help feeling flattered 
 * * at the evident pleasure which his return 
 caused to every member of the Rosenberg family. 
 The two little boys began immediately to tell him 
 that the Christmas-tree was expected the next 
 day. Gustle said that he had written a list of 
 all the toys he wished for, had placed it under 
 his pillow, and that the little child Christ had 
 come for it and carried it off ; " So, you see, I 
 must have been very good, or he would not have 
 taken the list, and I shall get all the things I 
 wrote for." 
 
 "And," said Peppy, "mamma met the infant 
 Christ in the Ludwig street, and he asked if I had 
 been a good child, and when mamma said yes, 
 he promised to fly into the nursery to-morrow 
 evening and light the candles, and bring me a 
 gun, and a cart, and bon-bons, and ginger- 
 bread." 
 
 " To-morrow is Christmas-eve," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, " a great day with us. Captain 
 Smith told me that you do not celebrate it in the 
 same manner as we do. As to Gustle," she 
 added in a whisper, " he is a cunning little fellow, 
 and only half believes what he says, but Peppy 
 has still all the innocent faith of childhood. I, 
 for my own part, firmly believed that Jesus gave
 
 Cbe long Dag. 67 
 
 me all my Christmas presents until I was nearly 
 ten years old ; but children now are not so easily 
 made to believe what we say." 
 
 " I don't quite like this idea," said Hamilton. 
 "Speaking in this way seems to me to be ir- 
 reverent, and must oblige you to tell the children 
 a number of untruths." 
 
 " Ah, bah ! " cried Madame Rosenberg, laugh- 
 ing, "you are all too particular in this respect." 
 
 " I think," said her husband, " that as long as 
 they can believe it, they may, and when they 
 cease to do so, they naturally think that it is God 
 who has given us the means of gratifying their 
 wishes, and so the gifts after all come from 
 him." 
 
 " Oh, how I enjoy the idea of my Christmas- 
 tree this year," exclaimed Crescenz. 
 
 " Of course you do," said Madame Rosenberg, 
 " as you know that you will get so many presents. 
 The Major returns to-morrow in order to give 
 you the gold chain and topaz ornaments he 
 promised you, and perhaps he may bring some- 
 thing of his sister's for you from Nuremberg." 
 
 " And what do you expect to get ? " said Ham- 
 ilton, turning to Hildegarde. 
 
 " I don't know," she replied, looking with a 
 smile towards her father, " but I have a sort of 
 idea that I shall get my first ball dress and 
 some books. Mamma has promised me a tree 
 for myself, so perhaps I shall give you some of 
 my bon-bons"
 
 68 Cbe flnttials. 
 
 " How I wish to-morrow were come ! " cried 
 Gustle. 
 
 "I wish dinner were on the table," said Mr. 
 Rosenberg, " although we get nothing now but 
 veal to eat, which my wife considers as a sort of 
 preservative against cholera." 
 
 " You are just as much afraid of cholera as I 
 am, Franz," she said, and then added in a whis- 
 per to Hamilton, " He laughs at me, but he takes 
 drops and pills every night. While you were 
 at Edelhof, we had some scenes which would, 
 perhaps, have alarmed you. First, I thought I 
 had got the cholera, but it was only some fat of 
 roast lamb which had disagreed with me. Then 
 the cook made herself ill by eating the apples 
 which I had given her that the children might 
 not ask for them. Then Peppy " 
 
 "Dinner is on the table," cried old Hans, 
 merely putting his grey head into the room. 
 
 " That 's right," cried Mr. Rosenberg, " and 
 now I request that the cholera be no more named 
 among us. A fine of six kreutzers for every 
 time the word is said." 
 
 " Oh, as to not saying the word ' cholera,' " 
 began his wife. 
 
 "A fine, a fine," cried Mr. Rosenberg; "the 
 money shall be put into a box and given to the 
 poor." 
 
 " Oh, dear," exclaimed Crescenz, " I must 
 take great care, or all my pocket-money will be 
 spent on the cho "
 
 Hildegarde's hand was on her mouth before the 
 word was pronounced. The little boys clapped 
 their hands, Hamilton laughed, and Mr. Rosen- 
 berg said he was sure that his wife and Cres- 
 cenz would prove themselves the most chari- 
 table by their contributions. 
 
 The next morning Hamilton spent in choosing 
 his presents ; he was for some time exceedingly 
 puzzled, and wavered long between books and 
 bronze, glass and gold ; at length he recollected 
 having heard Hildegarde once say that she 
 wished for nothing in this world so much as a 
 little watch, but that she feared she never would 
 be in possession of one. This decided at once 
 his doubts, and as the others interested him less, 
 he had soon completed his purchases with a large 
 box of toys for the children. 
 
 On his return, he found Fritz at home for the 
 holidays ; he was sitting at the drawing-room 
 window with his brothers, all three yawning and 
 looking most melancholy. " What o'clock is it ? " 
 was the exclamation as he entered. 
 
 " Four o'clock," said Hamilton ; " but why do 
 you look so sorrowful ? " 
 
 "Two whole hours to wait," sighed Fritz. 
 
 " Two long hours," yawned Gustle. 
 
 " Two hours before the angel comes to light 
 the candles and ring the bell," said Peppy. 
 
 " Pshaw, mamma might light the candles at 
 five o'clock ; it will be dark enough, I am sure," 
 said Fritz, in a whisper to Hamilton.
 
 70 tlbe flnltfals. 
 
 " Where are your sisters ? " 
 
 " They are with mamma, hanging the bon-bons 
 and fastening the wax tapers on the trees, I sup- 
 pose ; but when the presents are being brought 
 in they will be sent off too, though Crescenz 
 thinks herself old enough to light the candles 
 and do everything." 
 
 " In what room are they ? " 
 
 " In the school-room, but you need not expect 
 to get in ; both doors are locked." 
 
 "What do you think the little child Jesus will 
 send you ? " asked Peppy, approaching Hamil- 
 ton confidentially. " Did you, too, put a list 
 under your pillow, like Gustle ? Next year, if I 
 can write, I shall ask for so many things. Trum- 
 pets, and drums, and harlequins. What do you 
 think you will get ? " 
 
 "Bon-bons, probably." 
 
 " And something else, too," said Gustle, nod- 
 ding his head. 
 
 "You promised not to tell," cried Fritz, 
 threateningly approaching his brother. 
 
 " Don't you think," cried Gustle, boldly, "that 
 because you wear a uniform, I 'm afraid of you. 
 I '11 tell what I like " 
 
 Fritz caught him by the collar, Gustle threw off 
 his arm, and a considerable scuffle .ensued. 
 
 " Hildegarde has not finished the travelling- 
 bag," shouted Gustle, angrily, " and papa says 
 it is just as well, as it was not a civil sort of 
 present."
 
 Xong Dag. 71 
 
 At this moment Hildegarde and Crescenz 
 entered the room. 
 
 " Turned out ! turned out ! " cried Fritz and 
 Gustle, unanimously joining in the attack on 
 their sisters. 
 
 Hildegarde smiled, Crescenz grew red, and ob- 
 served that everything was ready ; there was 
 nothing more to be done. 
 
 " Turned out all the same," said Fritz, " though 
 you are nearly sixteen, and going to be married. 
 Ha ! ha ! ha ! " 
 
 " You are very ill-natured, Fritz, always talk- 
 ing of my going to be married, though you know 
 I dislike its being spoken of." 
 
 " Not you ! Did n't I see you playing grand 
 with Lina Berger when I was at home last Sun- 
 day ? You both seemed to consider Hildegarde 
 beneath your notice, and she is worth a dozen 
 such as you, and a hundred such as Lina 
 Berger." 
 
 " I was learning to make a new kind of purse." 
 
 " As if .1 did not know the purses were all 
 made ! No, you were talking of old Count Zed- 
 witz, who was so ill that the Doctor had to visit 
 him at his castle. I heard all you said, and un- 
 derstood you, too, though you spoke French." 
 
 Crescenz blushed deeply. Hildegarde became 
 very pale, turned suddenly to her sister, and said, 
 in a scarcely audible voice, " Crescenz, you 
 surely have not had the cruelty to explain to 
 Lina Berger, or gratify her curiosity ? "
 
 72 tlbe flnftfals. 
 
 " Lina suspected almost everything, and asked 
 me so many questions that I did not know what 
 to say. You forget that the Doctor was sent for, 
 and that the old Count was ill from mental agita- 
 tion ; I dare say he told him everything." 
 
 " What he left untold you have supplied. It 
 is the last time I shall ever confide in you." 
 
 " Don't be angry, Hildegarde," cried Crescenz, 
 with tears in her eyes ; " surely it is no disgrace 
 to you that such a man as Count Zedwitz wished 
 to " 
 
 " Silence ! " cried Hildegarde, sternly, " and 
 never mention his name again." 
 
 "Whew," whistled Fritz ; " Hildegarde is in a 
 passion ; look at her eyes ! Fight it out, Cressy, 
 and then make it up again ! " 
 
 But Crescenz threw herself on her knees be- 
 fore her sister, and, seizing her hands, faltered, 
 " Oh, Hildegarde, forgive me ; I have done 
 wrong, but you know that Lina always makes me 
 do as she pleases. Forgive me only say that 
 you forgive me this time ! " 
 
 " I forgive you," said Hildegarde, " but I never 
 can trust you again." 
 
 The sound of Madame Rosenberg's voice 
 speaking to Major Stultz in the adjoining room 
 made Crescenz spring up and follow the children, 
 who ran to meet him. 
 
 Hamilton looked at Hildegarde, but did not 
 utter a word. Every feature of her face ex- 
 pressed intense annoyance, as she slowly turned
 
 Gbe Xon0 Dag. 73 
 
 to the window and leaned her head against it. 
 The greetings in the next room were cordial ; 
 the children boisterously reminded Major Stultz 
 of the presents which he had promised to bring 
 them from Nuremberg. 
 
 " They are come or coming," he answered ; 
 " I had them all packed up ; and only think, the 
 infant Christ met me on my way here, took them 
 all from me, and promised to place them all un- 
 der the Christmas-tree this evening himself." 
 
 " Well," cried Fritz, " I must say that this. 
 24th of December is the very longest day in the 
 whole year." 
 
 " And yet it is generally supposed to be one of 
 the shortest," said Major Stultz, laughing ; he 
 advanced towards Hamilton and shook his hand, 
 
 "You are a new arrival as well as myself, I 
 hear. All my people in Nuremberg tried to per- 
 suade me to stay there in order to be out of the 
 way of the cholera, and they would, perhaps, 
 have succeeded, had not my impatience to see 
 Crescenz again been so great ; besides, I hope to 
 hurry matters by my presence, and that in about 
 a fortnight at furthest, Madame Rosenberg " 
 
 " I have no objection, my dear Major, but 
 Franz has taken it into his head that Crescenz 
 ought to wait until after her birthday, and go to 
 one ball with her sister before her marriage. We 
 do not yet know when the first museum ball will 
 take place." 
 
 " Pooh, nonsense ! She can go to .the ball af-
 
 74 ttbe IFnttials. 
 
 ter our marriage, just as well as before it ; eh, 
 Crescenz ? " 
 
 Crescenz smiled unmeaningly, and Hildegarde 
 '"irned the conversation by telling her mother 
 jftat the Hoffmanns had requested permission to 
 come to the Christmas-tree in the evening, to see 
 the presents. 
 
 " You have invited them, of course. The 
 Bergers are coming too, and old Madame Lustig ; 
 I invited her because I intend to ask her to take 
 charge of you all some day next month, as I 
 have promised to visit my father at the iron- 
 works ; besides, she has taken a deal of trouble 
 about workwomen for Crescenz, and all that sort 
 of thing ; I expect her to offer to stay here to- 
 night, and take care of the children until we re- 
 turn from the midnight mass. I hope, Major, 
 you can remain awake until twelve o'clock." 
 
 " In Crescenz's society I can answer for my- 
 self ; otherwise I must say I consider nine o'clock 
 as the most rational hour for retiring to rest." 
 
 " But you will go with us to hear the high mass 
 at midnight, won't you ?" 
 
 "Oh, of course." 
 
 " Come, girls, assist me to arrange the tea 
 things ; we will not, however, employ Mr. Ham- 
 ilton to make tea this time, but he may help to 
 carry the long table out of the next room for us." 
 
 Hamilton and Major Stultz carried in the 
 table, and everything was soon arranged for the 
 expected guests.
 
 dbe Gbrfstma0=Gree, an> /BM&nigbt /ifcags. 75 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE CHRISTMAS-TREE, AND MIDNIGHT MASS. 
 
 HTHE Hoffmanns arrived, and with them 
 * Count Raimund. Hamilton watched Hil- 
 degarde's reception of the latter, and forgetting 
 the three weeks he had passed at Edelhof, was 
 surprised to find that she met her cousin without 
 the slightest embarrassment ; he perceived, too, 
 that Raimund had contrived to ingratiate him- 
 self with Madame Rosenberg ; she greeted him 
 with a familiar nod, as he entered, and the chil- 
 dren's manner (no bad test of intimacy) con- 
 vinced him that Raimund's visits must have been 
 numerous during his absence. Fritz smiled 
 saucily, and raised his hand to his forehead in 
 military salute ; Gustle, with his usual rudeness, 
 seized his coat, and began to swing himself back- 
 wards and forwards by it : while Peppy took 
 possession of the unbuckled sword, and rode 
 round the room upon it, until his mother, irri- 
 tated by the noise, forcibly took it from him, and 
 shoving him with his brother Gustle into the next 
 room, declared that if they were so ill-behaved, 
 the infant Christ would pass by their house, and 
 they would get neither Christmas-boxes nor bon- 
 bons, " Do you know," she said, turning to 
 Count Raimund, " that Mr. Hamilton is quite 
 shocked at my telling the children such stories ? 
 He says " but the entrance of the Bergers
 
 76 tTbe Initials. 
 
 and Madame Lustig gave her thoughts another 
 direction. The latter was a red-faced, stout, 
 jolly-looking widow of at least fifty years of age ; 
 her nose was extremely thick, and her forehead 
 extremely low ; she seemed very glad to see every- 
 body, and made tremendously low curtsies in all 
 directions. Madame Berger immediately took 
 possession of Hamilton, saying that she had a lot of 
 messages to deliver from Theodor Biedermann. 
 
 " I hope he intends to come here to-morrow ; 
 I shall be glad to see him, and commence my 
 studies again." 
 
 " If we may believe him," said Madame Berger, 
 laughing, " Hildegarde has made great progress 
 during your absence ; he says she writes German 
 as well as French now, and that is saying a good 
 deal ; but he complained bitterly of the noise 
 which the children made while he was giving his 
 lessons, and regretted the tranquillity of your 
 room. Of course, I reminded him of the day I 
 found you fencing ! " 
 
 " Our lesson was over when you arrived ; I 
 assure you we were always exceedingly attentive 
 and well-behaved." 
 
 " And Hildegarde sitting there reading, as if 
 she were quite alone. By-the-by, have you be- 
 gun your English studies with her again ? " 
 
 " Not yet ; but I am quite ready, if she feels 
 disposed." 
 
 " You intend, perhaps, to enter the ranks of her 
 adorers ? "
 
 Gbe Gbrt0tmas*Cree, an& jflfciJmtflbt dBase. 77 
 
 " I only aspire to being among her friends at 
 present." 
 
 " But I can tell you she will not be satisfied 
 with anything less than the most unlimited de- 
 votion." 
 
 " I dare say she will find people enough will- 
 ing to comply with her demands. 
 
 " Do you think so ? If everything ends like 
 the Zedwitz affair, it would be better if she 
 turned her mind to something rational. You 
 know," she added, lowering her voice confiden- 
 tially, " you know that at Seon, and also here, she 
 encouraged Count Max Zedwitz in every possible 
 manner ; met him in the cloisters, and sat beside 
 him at table every day at Seon, and here let 
 him know every time she went on a walking 
 party - " 
 
 " I think," said Hamilton, " you are rather 
 mistaken in supposing that she - " 
 
 " Oh, I am not at all mistaken. She made 
 him, in the most artful, deliberate manner, so in 
 love that he actually took it into his head to 
 marry her. Such an idea, you know ! And his 
 father a knight of St. George, and all that." 
 
 " I was not aware that his father being a 
 knight of St. George could make any differ- 
 ence." 
 
 " What ! When they can prove sixteen noble 
 generations on both sides ! When Count Max 
 can become a knight of St. George whenever he 
 pleases ! When marrying a person who is not
 
 78 Gbe trnttfate. 
 
 noble would deprive his children and children's 
 children of the right of claiming an order which 
 can be obtained on no other terms." 
 
 "Ah, I understand." 
 
 " Hildegarde," continued Madame Berger, 
 " was always desperately proud, and her greatest 
 ambition is to marry some one of rank. A man 
 must be a count or baron at least before she 
 thinks him worthy of her notice. Now, such a 
 man as Count Zedwitz was just what she wished, 
 and she persuaded him to write a letter making 
 her a formal offer of his hand ; this she exhibited 
 in triumph to her father, who, however, had re- 
 ceived about the same time from the old Count 
 a most furious epistle, telling him that his son's 
 fortune and rank entitled him to look for a wife 
 among the first families in Germany that a mar- 
 riage with Mademoiselle Rosenberg now, or at 
 any future period, was totally out of the ques- 
 tion. He supposed that Mr. Rosenberg would 
 not desire any other sort of connection for his 
 daughter, and therefore had better join him in 
 putting an end to any further intimacy. This, 
 with a few other impertinences of the same de- 
 scription, made even good, quiet Mr. Rosenberg 
 outrageous, and he insisted on Hildegarde's 
 refusing Count Max if that be called a refusal 
 where marriage was a chimera ! " 
 
 " Not so much a chimera as you imagine," 
 said Hamilton, " for Zedwitz had procured the 
 necessary security as I happen to know, for he
 
 Gbe Gbristma6*aree, anD Attmfgbt flbass. 79 
 
 himself told me so at Edelhof and his father 
 cannot disinherit him." 
 
 " So ! Well, if that be the case, Mr. Rosen- 
 berg might as well have pocketed the affront 
 namely, the letter, and let his daughter marry 
 him. Perhaps, after his anger has cooled, he 
 may wish he had acted differently, or at least 
 wish that he had left an opening for a renewal 
 of the affair." 
 
 " Hildegarde has made a great sacrifice to 
 please her father," observed Hamilton. 
 
 " Not so great as you suppose ; for Crescenz 
 told me that she was quite as angry as her father 
 about the letter." 
 
 " Of that I have no doubt ; but, nevertheless, 
 the sacrifice was great." 
 
 " You mean on account of his rank, or the 
 fortune which his miserly old father is always 
 increasing ? Hildegarde has such an exalted 
 idea of her beauty that she imagines she can 
 find a Count Zedwitz whenever she pleases. 
 Crescenz says she took the whole business very 
 coolly after the first burst of anger was over. 
 When Count Zedwitz had left, her father, as 
 usual, praised her conduct extravagantly, and, 
 with tears in his eyes, thanked her for her com- 
 pliance with his wishes. What do you think she 
 did ? Told him in her customary ungracious 
 manner that she did not deserve either his 
 praises or thanks, for that it had caused her no 
 great effort to dismiss Count Zedwitz ! "
 
 8o Gbe flnitiale. 
 
 " Extraordinary inexplicable girl ! " mur- 
 mured Hamilton. 
 
 " Not at all," cried Madame Berger, colouring, 
 " not at all ; for, added to her pride, she is 
 naturally violent and has strong passions. I am 
 convinced she will never marry anyone who is 
 not of rank, but it is both possible and probable 
 that she may take it into her head to fall desper- 
 ately in love with some one whom she considers 
 beneath her. I have strong suspicion that she 
 has done so, and that Theodor Biedermann is 
 the favoured individual." 
 
 " Biedermann ! " repeated Hamilton, amazed. 
 
 " Yes, Theodor Biedermann ; but with him she 
 will find all her arts and vehemence useless. He 
 scarcely even allows her to be good-looking ! " 
 
 "I think you are altogether mistaken about 
 her," began Hamilton. " I never perceived the 
 slightest " 
 
 " You have been absent more than three 
 weeks," said Madame Berger, interrupting him. 
 " If I have made a right guess, Hildegarde will 
 receive a severe lesson, which I hope may be of 
 use to her ! " 
 
 " How do you mean ? " 
 
 " I mean that Theodor will treat her love with 
 the scorn which it deserves." 
 
 Hamilton shook his head and laughed rather 
 ironically. 
 
 " How long are we to continue in the dark ? " 
 asked Mr. Rosenberg from the other end of the
 
 Cbe Cbrtstma0*aree, anD dlM&nfgbt /ffi>ass. 81 
 
 room. " Pray, Babette, let us have at least a 
 pair of candles, that we may not be blinded when 
 your tree dazzles our astonished eyes ! " 
 
 The candles were unwillingly granted, and 
 Madame Rosenberg left the room mysteriously 
 with Madame Lustig. 
 
 " Come here, boys," cried Mr. Rosenberg. 
 " Let us take our station near the door, that we 
 may enter first." 
 
 Doctor Berger came towards Hamilton, and 
 began a conversation about the different ways of 
 celebrating Christmas in different countries, and 
 the habit of giving presents at that time or on 
 New Year's Day, while Hamilton's eyes involun- 
 tarily strayed towards Hildegarde, who, sitting 
 at the other end of the room with Count Raimund 
 and Mademoiselle de Hoffmann, was speaking 
 eagerly with the latter, all unconscious that her 
 cousin was gazing at her with an emotion which 
 his sanguine temperament betrayed in rapid 
 changes of colour, although he did not seem to 
 take any part in the conversation. 
 
 At length a bell was rung, and the door thrown 
 open which led to the school-room. The chil- 
 dren rushed forward with shouts of joy, followed, 
 somewhat tumultuously, by their father and his 
 guests. Hamilton was the last, and had more 
 time to prepare his eyes for the blaze of light 
 which they had to encounter. In the middle of 
 the room was a large round table, on which was 
 placed a tall fir tree, hung with a profusion of 
 
 VOL. II. 6
 
 82 Cbe initials. 
 
 bon-bons, of the most varied colours, and spark- 
 ling like gems as they reflected the light of the 
 hundreds of wax tapers which were fastened on 
 the dark green branches in their vicinity. On 
 the top of the tree was a diminutive angel, 
 dressed in gold and silver ; in the moss which 
 covered the root was a wax infant, surrounded 
 by lambs. The table itself was covered with 
 toys of every description, from drawing-books 
 and boxes for Fritz, to drums and trumpets for 
 Peppy. There were two other tables with smaller 
 trees, to which Madame Rosenberg conducted 
 Hildegarde and Crescenz. The noise was exces- 
 sive ; everyone spoke and nobody listened. Old 
 Hans and the cook were not forgotten ; they 
 stood, with their Christmas-boxes and pockets 
 of gingerbread, laughing spectators near the 
 door. 
 
 Hamilton received a cigar-case from Madame 
 Rosenberg, which she had worked most elabo- 
 rately for him during his absence, and from 
 Crescenz a scarlet purse, glittering with steel 
 beads ; this he particularly admired, while Major 
 Stultz told him he was half inclined to be jealous, 
 it was so much prettier than the one which she 
 had made for him. The presents which Hamil- 
 ton offered in return were accepted with the best 
 grace imaginable, and he now amused himself 
 watching Crescenz's face, as she opened the 
 various parcels and inspected the contents of the 
 numerous boxes and caskets on her table. Some
 
 Gbe Gbrl0tmas*Cree t and AMdnktbt /foass. 83 
 
 natural disappointment was at times legible when, 
 instead of the expected jewels, respectable rows 
 of forks and spoons met her eager eyes ; but at 
 length a case of red morocco disclosed such 
 treasures, that Hamilton, after having listened to 
 her expressions of rapture for a few minutes, 
 moved towards Hildegarde, who stood before 
 her table turning over the leaves of some books, 
 which had been placed beside the expected ball- 
 dress and wreath of roses. 
 
 " I have nothing to offer you," she said, slightly 
 blushing as he approached, " nothing but some 
 bon-bons" and she began to untie some from her 
 tree as she spoke. 
 
 Hamilton took them, and with unusual diffi- 
 dence, presented the case containing the watch. 
 She had no sooner opened it, than she blushed 
 excessively, and endeavouring to replace it in his 
 hands failing in her endeavour, she put it on 
 the table, saying, " Mr. Hamilton, I cannot pos- 
 sibly accept anything of such value." 
 
 " Your mother and sister have not pained me 
 by making any difficulties," he said, reproachfully. 
 
 " Then you must have given them something 
 very different." 
 
 This was undeniable, and Hamilton was silent. 
 Mr. Rosenberg came to his daughter's assistance, 
 to Hamilton's annoyance agreed with her, and 
 " hoped the watch was not definitely purchased." 
 
 "Of course it is," said Hamilton; "I never 
 dreamed of such a trifling thing being refused."
 
 84 Gbe flnitials. 
 
 "It is only trifling in size," said Mr. Rosen- 
 berg holding it toward his wife, who had joined 
 them. " Fortunately, however, a watch will be 
 quite as useful to you as to Hildegarde, as you 
 can use it yourself." 
 
 " But unfortunately, I have already two, one 
 which I received from my uncle, and one from 
 my mother," said Hamilton, in a tone of great 
 vexation. 
 
 " If that be the case," said Madame Rosenberg, 
 in a low voice to her husband, " perhaps " 
 
 " Babette ! " he exclaimed, " you don't know 
 the value of such a watch as this ! " 
 
 " Englishmen do not consider value as we do 
 I only thought if Mr. Hamilton had really 
 bought it for Hildegarde, and cannot use it him- 
 self, it will be ungracious if she refuses it." 
 
 " Very ungracious, indeed ! " cried Hamilton 
 eagerly. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg drew her husband aside, 
 and began a whispered discussion. Hildegarde 
 leaned against her table in painful embarrass- 
 ment, while Hamilton quietly withdrew from his 
 pocket a long gold chain which he had not before 
 ventured to produce, and attached it to the watch. 
 
 " I shall not be allowed to accept it," said Hil- 
 degarde, shaking her head. 
 
 " You will," said Hamilton. 
 
 He was right ; her father, in a reluctant, half- 
 annoyed manner, gave his consent. " Thank 
 you ! Oh, thank you ! " cried Hamilton, with
 
 ftbe Cbristma0*Crce, anD dlMonigbt /fcaas. 85 
 
 such warmth that Madame Berger came skipping 
 from the other side of the room, exclaiming, " I 
 positively must know what Hildegarde has given 
 you ; you seem so uncommonly pleased ! " 
 
 " That is a secret," said Hamilton, laughingly 
 turning away, while she pursued him with guesses. 
 
 "It is not the half-finished travelling-bag, at 
 all events, for you could not put that into your 
 pocket. Nor is it a purse, or a cigar-case. Oh, 
 I know, a pair of slippers, or a portfolio worked 
 on canvas ! You may as well tell me, for I shall 
 hear at all events from Crescenz ! Have you 
 seen what splendid ornaments the Major has 
 given her ? And the three bracelets ? And then 
 such droves of coffee-spoons as her god-mother 
 has sent her from Augsburg and Cressy is so 
 childish that she does not care in the least for 
 spoons ? " 
 
 Madame Rosenberg went round the room dis- 
 tributing bon-bons and trifling presents, which 
 sometimes caused amusement when they con- 
 tained an allusion to well-known foibles or pecu- 
 liarities. The tapers on the tree were nearly 
 burned out. Mr. Rosenberg desired old Hans 
 to extinguish them, and having placed candles 
 on the table, the children were left to play with 
 their newly-acquired treasures, and the rest of 
 the party adjourned to the drawing-room. 
 
 Everyone seemed happy excepting Raimund, 
 who, with a flushed face and contracted brow, 
 took the place assigned him beside his betrothed,
 
 86 ftbe Knitials. 
 
 and poured into her ear at intervals his discon- 
 tented observations ; her good-humoured laugh- 
 ing answers appearing to act like fuel on the 
 malevolent fire burning within him. At length 
 he suddenly started from his chair, and pleading 
 business of importance at the barracks, he left the 
 room with little ceremony, and negligently trailed 
 his sword after him along the corridor. 
 
 " Well," said Madame Rosenberg, as she 
 carved a prettily-decorated cake into neat slices ; 
 " well, we can do without him, now that the Major 
 is here to take his place at whist or taroc, but I 
 cannot conceive what has put him out of temper ! " 
 
 " Who is out of temper ? " asked Madame de 
 Hoffmann, who, as usual, had only heard the last 
 words. 
 
 " Nobody, mamma," answered her daughter 
 quickly. " Poor Oscar," she added, turning to 
 Hildegarde; " I believe he is annoyed at not being 
 able to give such presents as your sister has re- 
 ceived from Major Stultz. It would have been 
 better had we not come to your Christmas fete ; 
 I had no idea it would be so splendid." 
 
 " That is a fancy which papa and mamma have 
 in common," answered Hildegarde, " Crescenz 
 being a bride has made our Christmas unusually 
 brilliant, I suppose. I dare say, however, your 
 tree was very handsome. Why did you not in- 
 vite us to see it ? " 
 
 " Oscar did not wish it and he forbade my 
 saying that this bracelet was from him, when
 
 tlbc Cbristmass^ree, an> flMDnigbt fl&ass. 87 
 
 Crescenz showed me hers. I hope he does not 
 think I expected or wished for such presents as 
 she has received ! By-the-by, dear, do tell your 
 mother not to make any remarks when he is a 
 little odd at times ; for mamma, who, you know, 
 at first so wished and promoted our marriage, 
 has lately been endeavouring, under all sorts of 
 pretences, to break it off. If it were not for 
 Oscar's father's extraordinary patience with her, 
 I do believe our engagement would be at an end 
 at once. I dare not tell her how sombre and 
 dissatisfied he has become of late ; she would at- 
 tribute it to the supposed preference for you, 
 which I cannot persuade her is an absurdity, al- 
 though she begins to see that it is not returned 
 on your part. Madame Berger has been endeav- 
 ouring to enlighten her " 
 
 " By telling her something very ill-natured of 
 me, most probably," said Hildegarde, colouring. 
 
 "She told us a long story about that good- 
 natured Count Zedwitz this morning, of which I 
 do not believe anything, excepting that he wished 
 to marry you, and that his family perhaps were 
 opposed to the match ; and she ended by saying 
 that you had taken a fancy to that young student, 
 Biedermann, who is giving you lessons in 
 German." 
 
 " Just like her ! " exclaimed Hildegarde, in- 
 dignantly. 
 
 " Oscar, who was present, laughed excessively ; 
 indeed he was so amused at her chattering, that
 
 Cbe -ffnttfate. 
 
 he became quite gay, and was more amiable than 
 I have known him for a long time, until he came 
 here and saw Crescenz's bracelets, and that 
 watch which Mr. Hamilton gave you." 
 
 Hildegarde bent down her head to hide a 
 blush of which she was but too conscious. " I 
 have no intention of keeping the watch longer 
 than this evening," she said, after a thoughtful 
 pause ; " it is a much too valuable present to ac- 
 cept from a a stranger but that is of no con- 
 sequence to Oscar, who might easily have found 
 some better employment than laughing at me 
 with Lina Berger ! " 
 
 " My dear creature, he was laughing at her ! He 
 says she was jealous about that little Biedermann !" 
 
 " Pshaw ! " cried Hildegarde, impatiently. 
 
 "Will you not at least tell me the true state of 
 the case about Count Zedwitz ? " 
 
 " Not now not now, Marie in fact I never 
 wish to mention the subject again," said Hilde- 
 garde, arising abruptly and going towards the 
 door, which, however, she had no sooner reached, 
 than she was recalled by her mother, and desired 
 to carry round the cake to the expectant com- 
 pany, who had been already supplied with weak 
 tea strongly perfumed with vanilla. 
 
 Hamilton was so occupied by Madame Berger, 
 that he did not observe Hildegarde as she passed 
 him ; his companion's eyes followed her for some 
 time furtively, and then turning to him she ob- 
 served with a laugh, " Did you not see how Hil-
 
 GbrfstmagsSree, anfc /BMZmfgbt flbass. 89 
 
 degarde's hand trembled as she offered us the 
 cake ? I am sure she has been in a passion, 
 though I cannot imagine about what, as she has 
 only been speaking with her friend Mademoiselle 
 de Hoffmann ! Berger has become physician to 
 the Hoffmanns ever since your illness ; they 
 took such a fancy to him, and are so civil to me, 
 that I often visit them now. By-the-by, that 
 Count Raimund is charming, but he does not 
 seem to care in the least for his betrothed, who 
 certainly is not at all pretty. She did not look 
 half pleased at his talking so much to me this 
 morning ! A little pug-faced person such as she 
 is has no sort of right to be jealous, you know, 
 and the sooner she learns to bear his paying 
 attentions to other women the better !" 
 
 " How kind of you to give her such a lesson ? " 
 
 " I see, by your manner, that you think me 
 ill-natured," said Madame Berger. 
 
 " Or malicious ! " said Hamilton. 
 
 " Perhaps I was a little," said Madame Berger, 
 with an affectation of repentive pensiveness. 
 " After all, Mademoiselle de Hoffmann is a 
 good-natured, a most inoffensive person ! " 
 
 " She is sensible and well-informed too," said 
 Hamilton, warmly. 
 
 " You take your opinion from Hildegarde, 
 who you know has no medium. Pray don't ask 
 her what she thinks of me, that 's all. See, she 
 will not offer us any cake this time, because we 
 took no notice of her when she passed before."
 
 tlbe ITnitfals. 
 
 " I did not see her," said Hamilton ; " I be- 
 lieve I was admiring the ring which you told me 
 had been given you by one of the Doctor's 
 patients." 
 
 " But the ring was still on my finger, and per- 
 haps she thought " 
 
 " What ? " asked Hamilton, laughing, as he 
 followed Hildegarde, and obtained the piece of 
 cake which he requested. Madame Lustig, who 
 did not perceive his vicinity, observed to Dr. 
 Berger, " Your wife is getting on at a great rate 
 with that young Englishman to-night." 
 
 " It 's a way she has," he replied, shugging 
 his shoulders, " opposition only makes her worse, 
 so I generally pretend not to see her. At all 
 events, I have discovered long ago, that the 
 Englishman's heart and thoughts are else- 
 where, even when he is apparently completely 
 engrossed in my Lina." 
 
 Hamilton looked at Hildegarde, and thought 
 he perceived something like a smile playing 
 round the corners of her mouth, as she turned 
 away he walked slowly to his seat, and began to 
 eat his cake with an earnestness which soon 
 became offensive to his lively neighbour. 
 
 " I suppose she forbade you talking any more 
 to me ?" she observed, after some time. 
 
 " Do you mean Madame Lustig ? " 
 
 " Madame Fiddlestick ! you know I mean 
 Hildegarde." 
 
 " She did not speak to me."
 
 Cbri8tma6=Gree, and /BM&rtiabt flbass. g 1 
 
 " Perhaps a look was sufficient ? " 
 
 " She did not look at me." 
 
 " But you looked at her ? " 
 
 " Undoubtedly I like looking at her and at 
 you, too, if you have no objection." 
 
 " I see I shall be obliged to complain of you 
 to the Doctor and I tell you he is horribly jeal- 
 ous at times ! " 
 
 " How very considerate of him to stand with 
 his back to us all this time," said Hamilton, 
 laughing, " one would almost think he did it on 
 purpose ! But see, the children are coming to 
 say good night, and the Hoffmanns seem to be 
 going " 
 
 " I suppose the Doctor will insist on my going, 
 too ! " said Madame Berger ; "he has no sort of 
 consideration for me, and the idea will never 
 enter his old head, that I should like to go to the 
 midnight mass with you all." 
 
 The Doctor did insist, and the company 
 departed together. Mr. Rosenberg at once de- 
 clared his intention to go to bed ; his wife said 
 she would doze on the sofa until it was time to 
 go to church ; Major Stultz placed himself, as 
 usual, beside Crescenz and her work-basket, and 
 began a whispered conversation, which, how- 
 ever, in time perceptibly flagged, for Crescenz's 
 fingers moved more quickly than her tongue 
 the monotony of his own voice on the otherwise 
 unbroken stillness in the room naturally pro- 
 duced drowsiness, with which the Major long
 
 92 Gbe flnttfats. 
 
 and valiantly combated but it was in vain he 
 endeavoured to sit bolt upright in his chair, 
 occasionally staring wildly around him. After 
 having made a succession of sleepy obeisances, 
 of such profundity that Crescenz's demure smile 
 almost verged into laughter, his arms sank at 
 length heavily on his outspread legs, his head 
 sought support on the uncomfortable low back of 
 his chair, his jaw fell, and the long-drawn breath- 
 ing degenerated into snores both loud and long. 
 
 Such influence had Hildegarde acquired over 
 Hamilton, that the fear of incurring her dis- 
 pleasure prevented him from laughing aloud, or 
 at first even looking up ; after some time, how- 
 ever, pressing his lips firmly against his book, 
 his eyes glanced over it with a mixed expression 
 of mirth and curiosity, from one sister to the 
 other. Crescenz seemed embarrassed, but there 
 was not a particle of either dislike or impatience 
 in the look which she bestowed on the sleeper. 
 She bent towards her sister, and said in a whis- 
 per, " If I could manage to put a sofa cushion 
 on the back of the chair ! " 
 
 " An excellent idea," said Hildegarde, taking 
 up one, and preparing to assist her. 
 
 " Give me the cushion, and do you move his 
 head," said Crescenz, timidly. 
 
 " No, dear, that is your office," replied her sis- 
 ter, half laughing. 
 
 " But if he should wake," cried Crescenz, 
 drawing back."
 
 Gbe Cbristma6*o:ree t anfc Aidntgbt abase. 93 
 
 " He will scarcely be angry," said Hildegarde, 
 approaching with the cushion. 
 
 Crescenz took it from her, and began to insin- 
 uate it between his head and the chair her 
 movements were so gentle that she succeeded 
 without awakening him his mouth closed with a 
 slight jerk, while uttering a grunt of sleepy satis- 
 faction, as his chin dropped on his breast. 
 
 Nothing could be less attractive than Major 
 Stultz's face at this moment, with his puffed-out 
 crimson cheeks and wrinkled double chin but 
 Crescenz saw him not ; with a good-humoured 
 'smile she tried to arrange still better the sup- 
 porting cushion, and then stood behind him with 
 all the immovable serenity of a Caryatide. Hil- 
 degarde walked to the window, and holding her 
 hands at each side of her temples, endeavoured 
 to look out into the darkness. " We shall have 
 rain, I fear," she observed to Hamilton, who had 
 followed her. 
 
 He opened the window it was a cold, cheer- 
 less night, the flickering lamps throwing un- 
 steady gleams of light across the street. 
 
 " The weather is not very inviting," said Hil- 
 degarde, drawing back into the warm room with 
 a slight shudder. 
 
 Hamilton leaned out for some time in silence, 
 and then whispered " Who is that ? " He 
 pointed to the opposite side of the street, 
 where a figure, muffled in a cloak, had been 
 standing opposite the house, and now began
 
 94 Gbe flntttals. 
 
 to walk quickly away. " Do you know who 
 that was ? " 
 
 " I think it was Count Zedwitz," answered 
 Hildegarde. 
 
 " You knew he was there ? You came to the 
 window to see him ? " 
 
 " No," said Hildegarde, quietly. 
 
 " Then how could you know him so di- 
 rectly ? " 
 
 " I recognised the cloak he used to wear at 
 Seon." 
 
 "Ah yes true poor fellow! "said Hamilton. 
 
 " How inclined you are to suspect me ! " said 
 Hildegarde, reproachfully. 
 
 " One might suspect, without blaming you, for 
 giving Zedwitz a gleam of hope to lighten his 
 despair." 
 
 " I should blame myself, for it would be un- 
 pardonable coquetry ! " 
 
 " Coquetry ! when you really love him ! " 
 
 " Love him ! " repeated Hildegarde, hastily 
 " No yes that is, I like him I like him very 
 much." 
 
 At this moment the church bells in Munich 
 began simultaneously to send forth loud peals. 
 Madame Rosenberg raised herself on her pillow, 
 and exclaimed : " What are you about, Hilde- 
 garde ? Shut the window, and don't let the cold 
 night air into the room." 
 
 Hamilton closed the window. When he looked 
 round he perceived Major Stultz with the sofa-
 
 Gbrt6tmag*ree, and /biftnigbt /Bass. 95 
 
 cushion on his knees, offering a profusion of 
 thanks to Crescenz, who stood smiling beside him. 
 
 In a few minutes they were on their way to 
 the Frauen church. It was crowded to excess, 
 and brilliantly lighted, chiefly by the number of 
 wax tapers which had been brought with the 
 prayer books, and now burned brightly before 
 each kneeling or sitting figure. 
 
 The music was excellent : and as Hamilton soon 
 observed that extraordinary devotion was chiefly 
 practised by the female part of the congregation 
 who occupied the pews, and that those in his vicin- 
 ity who stood in the aisle amused themselves by 
 looking around them in all directions, he by de- 
 grees followed their example, and his tall figure 
 enabling him to overlook the sea of heads about 
 him, he gratified his curiosity to the fullest ex- 
 tent. He observed that Crescenz's eyes stole not 
 unfrequently over her prayerbook to bestow a 
 furtive glance on him or on Major Stultz who 
 stood near her, but Hildegarde was immovable 
 her profound devotion surprised him. She 
 spoke so much less of religion than her sister, 
 that he had come to the erroneous conclusion 
 that she was less religious. The burning taper 
 threw a strong light on her bent head and clasped 
 hands ; and as he suddenly recollected some re- 
 mark of Zedwitz's about the Madonna-like ex- 
 pression of her regular features, he unconsciously 
 turned to seek his friend, to ask him when and 
 where he had so spoken. His astonishment was
 
 96 Gbe Unltials. 
 
 lost in emotion on perceiving that Zedwitz was 
 actually not far distant from him, his whole ap- 
 pearance wild and disordered, his haggard eyes 
 fixed on Hildegarde's motionless figure. The 
 service ended, she closed her book, and rose 
 calmly, while Madame Rosenberg extinguished 
 the three tapers and deposited them in her reti- 
 cule. As the lights one after another disappeared, 
 there was a universal move towards the nearest 
 doors. Hamilton was about to follow the Rosen- 
 bergs when he felt himself drawn in a contrary 
 direction by a powerful arm, and Zedwitz whis- 
 pered, " One word before you go home ; " and 
 they were soon brought outside the church with 
 the crowd. It was raining torrents ; and several 
 persons attempted to return again into the aisle, 
 while they despatched messengers or servants for 
 umbrellas. The carriages rolled rapidly away in 
 all directions, and Hamilton in a few minutes 
 was walking with his friend under the leafless 
 trees in the promenade platz. 
 
 " I am ill," said Zedwitz, " really ill this sort 
 of life is not to be endured I shall get a fever, 
 or go mad, if I remain here." 
 
 " You do look ill," said Hamilton, " and change 
 of air and scene might be of use to you but is 
 it advisable to remain out in this rain if you are 
 feverish ? " 
 
 " Certainly not advisable but I cannot set 
 out on my travels without taking leave of you." 
 
 " Travels ! where do you mean to go ? "
 
 <Xbe Cbristmas*aree, anD dftiCmfcibt /toasg. 97 
 
 " To Paris or Rome or Athens or Jerusa- 
 lem." 
 
 " Will your father consent ? " 
 
 " I think so. To-morrow I intend to go to 
 Lengheim and commence negotiations I have 
 determined on quitting the army at all events ; 
 for I have no fancy for country quarters, and as 
 to remaining in Munich, the thing is impossible. 
 What are all my resolutions when I see her ? and 
 see her I do continually although unseen by 
 her, or any of her family." 
 
 " You were in the street this evening, I know. 
 She recognised your cloak immediately." 
 
 " My cloak, ah ! very true I must have an- 
 other adieu, Hamilton, I will not detain you 
 longer in the rain we shall scarcely meet again 
 before I leave " 
 
 " Write to me then," said Hamilton. " I should 
 like to know where you are to be found. Per- 
 haps I may join you in the spring." 
 
 " You shall hear from me," cried Zedwitz, 
 seizing his hand and holding it firmly. " One 
 word more promise me to act honourably by 
 Hildegarde, and not to take advantage of her 
 isolated situation when her sister has left the 
 house." 
 
 " I have never thought of acting otherwise," 
 replied Hamilton, calmly. 
 
 " I suppose I must be satisfied with this an- 
 swer," said Zedwitz, wringing his friend's hand 
 as he hurried away. 
 
 VOL. II. 7
 
 Gbe flntttate. 
 
 It was too late to overtake the Rosenbergs, 
 nevertheless Hamilton walked quickly home. 
 He was surprised to find the house-door open, 
 the staircase perfectly dark, and several persons 
 speaking at different distances upon it. On the 
 third story Walburg, who was endeavouring to 
 open the door of the Rosenbergs' apartment, 
 was loudly assuring her mistress that when she 
 left the house with the umbrellas the lamp had 
 been burning she had trimmed it on her way 
 downstairs. Major Stultz and Crescenz were 
 not far distant, for they occasionally laughed, and 
 joined in the conversation. Hamilton began to 
 grope his way along the passage ; as he gained 
 the foot of the stairs, Hildegarde, who had prob- 
 ably only reached the first landing-place, ex- 
 claimed : " Is that you, Mr. Hamilton ? You 
 had better wait until we have a light." 
 
 Before he had time to speak, a voice quite 
 close to her answered for him. 
 
 " You have startled me," cried Hildegarde, 
 " I thought you were at the foot of the stairs." 
 
 Not a little surprised to find himself in the 
 presence of a second self, he stood still to hear 
 what would follow. 
 
 " How did you happen to be separated from 
 us ? " asked Hildegarde. 
 
 " Met some friends at the church door, and 
 stopped to speak to them," replied the voice in 
 French. 
 
 " You must be completely wet ! "
 
 Cbristmas*Cree, anD /BMDnfgbt /Bbass. 99 
 
 "Not at all." 
 
 Hildegarde laughed. 
 
 " You do not believe me ! Feel my arm not 
 even damp ! " 
 
 A pause ensued perhaps the arm was felt 
 the midnight representative lowered his voice 
 and spoke eagerly. Hamilton advanced a few 
 steps and heard the concluding words " Surely, 
 surely, if you consider me a friend, you will let 
 me know the true state of the case. Is it 
 friendship for Mademoiselle de Hoffmann that 
 makes you of late avoid your cousin with, I may 
 say, such exaggerated care ? " 
 
 " Exaggerated care ! " repeated Hildegarde, 
 with evident surprise. 
 
 " Well, well never mind that we have no 
 time to weigh words just now ; but, tell me 
 quickly, was it to please your father or in anger 
 or indifference that you refused Zedwitz ?" 
 
 " Have you any right to question me in this 
 imperious manner?" cried Hildegarde, moving 
 quickly on. 
 
 "No," replied the stranger, striding after her. 
 " No ; and it is a great relief to my mind to find 
 that I have not. I was beginning to fear you 
 had a misunderstood me would think perhaps 
 I had trifled with your feelings : in short, I 
 thought you were unkind to your cousin and 
 had refused Zedwitz from having formed expec- 
 tations which can never be realised. Painful as 
 it is to me to say so, I must nevertheless tell
 
 ioo Gbe flntttals. 
 
 you that nothing was further from my thoughts 
 than " 
 
 " Villain ! " cried Hamilton, springing forward. 
 11 How dare you take advantage of the darkness 
 to traduce me in this manner ! Who are you ? " 
 
 A violent and silent struggle ensued, but the 
 darkness was so complete that the stranger con- 
 trived to free himself from Hamilton's grasp, 
 bounded down the stairs, and closed the hall- 
 door with such violence that the whole house 
 shook. Hamilton would have followed, but 
 Hildegarde's hand grasped his arm, and she 
 entreated him, almost breathlessly, to remain 
 quiet. " Do not go after him ; it will serve 
 no purpose whatever. I ought to have known," 
 she added, walking up the now lighted stair- 
 case, " I ought to have felt at once that it was 
 not you ! " 
 
 " It would have shown extraordinary discern- 
 ment on your part," said Hamilton, " for not 
 only did he whisper, and choose a foreign lan- 
 guage which he probably knows we often use, 
 and in which you could not easily detect the 
 difference of expression but he also asked the 
 very questions which I should have asked long 
 ago, had I dared ! " 
 
 Hildegarde hurried forward, while Madame 
 Rosenberg called from the top of the stairs : 
 " You were determined to let us know that you 
 had shut the house-door after you, Mr. Hamil- 
 ton, but I was glad to hear that you were at
 
 CbristmagstTrce, an& dfctonigbt /fcass. 101 
 
 home, for it is raining torrents, and, as you 
 have neither cloak nor umbrella, you must be 
 wet to the skin." 
 
 " I believe I am rather wet," said Hamilton, 
 composedly allowing himself to be felt by his 
 attentive hostess. 
 
 " Take off these clothes directly, or you will 
 get one of your English colds." 
 
 " A cold never lasts more than a day or two 
 here ; I am no longer afraid," said Hamilton, 
 following her into the drawing-room in the hope 
 of speaking a few words more with Hildegarde ; 
 but Madame Rosenberg insisted on his going to 
 bed, and as a bribe, promised herself to bring 
 him a piece of cake and a glass of wine. 
 
 The whole family were in the deepest sleep, 
 and not a sound was heard in the house, when 
 suddenly, about three o'clock in the morning, 
 the Rosenberg bell was rung loud and violently. 
 A great commotion ensued, and the cook having 
 been sent downstairs to open the house-door, 
 returned in a minute or two, preceded by Count 
 Zedwitz's servant, who, running towards Hamil- 
 ton's room, seemed only able to pronounce the 
 word cholera. 
 
 " Who is that ? " cried Madame Rosenberg, 
 drawing a little black shawl tightly over her 
 shoulders, and following him with hasty steps. 
 " What does the man mean ? " 
 
 She found him standing in Hamilton's room, 
 explaining that his master had returned home ill
 
 102 Gbe initials. 
 
 about one o'clock ; that he had gradually become 
 worse, and had now the cholera ; he had refused 
 to send for Mr. Hamilton, but the doctor had 
 said some one ought to be with him, who could 
 write to Edelhof directly. 
 
 " I must say I think it very unnecessary that 
 Mr. Hamilton should be exposed to any danger 
 of the kind," interposed Madame Rosenberg. 
 " I dare say Count Zedwitz has other friends or 
 relatives to whom he can apply." 
 
 The man said he had not been long with 
 Count Zedwitz he had seen him more with Mr. 
 Hamilton than anyone else and then he looked 
 inquiringly towards Hamilton, who, having sprung 
 out of bed the moment the bell rang, had finished 
 his hasty toilet undisturbed by the presence of 
 Madame Rosenberg. His answer was throwing 
 his cloak over his shoulders, and advancing tow- 
 ards the door. 
 
 " Surely you will not run the danger of getting 
 the cholera, for a mere acquaintance of yester- 
 day," she cried, anxiously placing herself before 
 him. 
 
 " The danger is by no means so great as you 
 suppose," said Hamilton. " I doubt the cholera 
 being contagious." 
 
 " But I don't in the least doubt it," cried 
 Madame Rosenberg, " and I feel quite sure you 
 will bring it into our house. Have some 
 consideration for us, if you have none for your- 
 self ! "
 
 Gbristma0?Tree, and jflfct&nfgbt flfcass. 103 
 
 " The best plan will be not to return for a 
 week or so," said Hamilton. " In fact, not until 
 you let me know that you no longer fear infec- 
 tion. Hans must bring me whatever I require, 
 as soon as it is daylight." 
 
 " But he must not go backwards and forwards," 
 began Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 " Oh, mamma ! " exclaimed Hildegarde, who 
 was standing in the passage ; " will you not 
 speak to papa about it ? I am sure " 
 
 " Go to your bed," cried her mother, inter- 
 rupting her testily, " and don't stand shivering 
 there until you get the cholera, too ; go to your 
 bed. I assure you," she said, turning apologeti- 
 cally to Hamilton, " I assure you I don't mean to 
 be unkind, but I have a family, and it would be 
 awful were the cholera to come among us. Sup- 
 pose I were to lose Franz, or one of my boys, or 
 even Hildegarde " 
 
 " Do not speak of anything so dreadful," 
 cried Hamilton, instantly seizing the last idea. 
 " Nothing will induce me to return until even 
 the shadow of danger has past." 
 
 " And you do not think me ill-natured ? " 
 
 " Not in the least !" 
 
 Hildegarde was at the door of her room as he 
 was about to pass he stopped to take leave. 
 
 " Use whatever precaution you can against in- 
 fection," she said, warmly returning the pressure 
 of his hand, "and," she added, hurriedly, "and 
 don't be angry when I send you the watch you
 
 104 be frnittals. 
 
 gave me last night. Papa agrees with me in 
 thinking such a present too valuable to be ac- 
 cepted from a an acquaintance. Don't forget 
 to let me know as often as you can by old Hans, 
 how Count Zedwitz is !" 
 
 Hamilton dropped her hand with an impatient 
 jerk, and hurried from the house, without speak- 
 ing another word. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE GARRET. 
 
 " OTOP, stop if you please," cried Zedwitz's 
 
 **' servant to Hamilton, who was beginning to 
 run down the street, " Count Max is not in his own 
 house he is here just opposite at the brazier's." 
 
 " At the brazier's ! " exclaimed Hamilton, 
 " what induced him to go there ? " 
 
 " Don't know, sir," replied the man, " he has 
 been lodging there the last week or two." 
 
 " Lodging there ? " repeated Hamilton, as he 
 crossed the street, " that is an odd idea." 
 
 The man opened the house-door with a latch- 
 key, took up a candle which was burning on the 
 staircase, and walked up to the very top of the 
 house. They passed through two or three empty 
 garrets before they reached the one which Zed- 
 witz had chosen for his sleeping apartment. 
 The furniture contrasted strangely with the 
 whitewashed walls, sloping ceilings, and windows
 
 (Barret. 105 
 
 protruding from the roof. A handsome bed- 
 stead, wardrobe, sofa, several large arm-chairs, 
 and tables covered with writing and drawing 
 materials, found with difficulty, place in the ill- 
 shaped room. A stranger was sitting by the 
 bed ; he rose as Hamilton approached. 
 
 "So they have brought you here, after all," 
 said Zedwitz ; " I hope at least that you have 
 been told the true state of the case that you 
 know that I have the worst description of 
 cholera ? " 
 
 " You know I do not consider it infectious," 
 replied Hamilton, " and if I can be of any use, I 
 am prepared to remain with you." 
 
 Zedwitz pressed his friend's hand. 
 
 " If I am not better in a few hours," he said 
 slowly, " that is, when there is no hope of my re- 
 covery, you may write to Edelhof I do not 
 wish to see any of my family not even Agnes 
 coming from the country, they would be too 
 liable to infection." 
 
 "But," said Hamilton, "I do not see Doctor 
 Berger why have you not sent for him ? " 
 
 " Because I am here, and not in my own 
 house, and he tells everything to his chattering 
 wife, who relates, with interest, all she hears to 
 whoever will listen to her." 
 
 " But why are you here ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 A violent spasm put an end to the conversa- 
 tion, nor was it possible to renew it. Zedwitz 
 hourly became worse. Hamilton proportionably
 
 io6 tCbe Untttate. 
 
 anxious. At length he sent not only for Doctor 
 Berger, but also for his friend Biedermann, and 
 when they had declared Zedwitz's case almost 
 hopeless, he wrote as he had been desired to Edel- 
 hof, and employed his servant Hans as courier. 
 
 Late in the evening Zedwitz lay motionless 
 from exhaustion. Biedermann had more than 
 once held a feather under his nostrils to ascertain 
 if he still breathed. Hamilton rose slowly from 
 his station by the bed, and walked cautiously to 
 one of the small windows. On reaching it, he 
 stumbled over a large telescope which was 
 pointed against a round hole, evidently cut in 
 the curtain he was about to remove the telescope 
 to avoid a recurrence of the noise which he had 
 just made, but, on second thoughts, he seated 
 himself on a chair conveniently placed beside it, 
 and applied his eye to the glass. 
 
 In a moment, he was in Madame Rosenberg's 
 drawing-room ; the muslin curtains were not 
 closed, and he saw the preparations for the 
 rubber of whist the candles and counters 
 arranged, the entrance of the Hoffmanns, accom- 
 panied as usual by Raimund. The latter soon 
 seated himself at the piano-forte, and from the 
 different movements of his person and hands, 
 Hamilton tried to imagine the music to which 
 the others (not the card-players) listened ap- 
 parently with the most profound attention. He 
 had heard so much from Hildegarde of her 
 cousin's extraordinary talent for music, that he
 
 (Barret. 107 
 
 expected to see her immediately move towards 
 him. Great was, therefore, his surprise, when 
 she walked to the window most distant from him, 
 and drawing still further aside the small trans- 
 parent curtains, turned her face upwards, ex- 
 actly in the direction' of the window from which 
 he was looking out. He could not any longer 
 see her features, but he imagined her looking at 
 him, and he involuntarily pushed back his chair. 
 Did she know where he was ? Or had she already 
 known that Zedwitz was in her neighbourhood ? 
 He tried to remember if she had been in the 
 habit of going to the window he believed not 
 but he recollected her immediate recognition of 
 Zedwitz in the street the evening before. The 
 scene on the stairs recurred to his memory with 
 extraordinary exactness, and a sudden suspicion, 
 like a flash of lightning, made him see Zedwitz as 
 his midnight traducer. He strode towards him, 
 but the angry question died on his lips, when he 
 beheld the livid features convulsed with pain. 
 Zedwitz was not only perfectly conscious of his 
 dangerous state, but everything passing around 
 him ; he glanced towards the window, and 
 asked in a low hoarse voice, " Have you seen her ?" 
 
 " Yes, she is looking at the windows of this 
 room." 
 
 A long silence ensued, and then Hamilton was 
 called out of the room to speak to old Hans, who 
 had been sent by Hildegarde to make inquiries 
 about Zedwitz.
 
 io8 ftbe Ifnitials. 
 
 "How does Mademoiselle Hildegarde know 
 that we are here ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " She inquired of my son this morning when 
 he was packing your clothes. She hopes that 
 you will take care of yourself, and says you must 
 be sure to smell this little silk thing, as it will 
 save you from infection." 
 
 Hamilton smiled as he received from the old 
 man a sachet containing camphor. 
 
 " Perhaps you will give me a line for made- 
 moiselle ; she is very uneasy." 
 
 Hamilton wrote a few lines with his pencil. 
 
 " She said," remarked old Hans, " you must 
 hang it on your neck, and that she would pray 
 for the wearer every morning in the Frauen 
 church." 
 
 " Did she say that ? " cried Hamilton, hastily. 
 " At what hour will she be there ? " 
 
 " Between six and seven o'clock, I should 
 think," answered the man, with a look of intelli- 
 gence by no means agreeable to Hamilton. 
 
 " You need not say that I asked you this ques- 
 tion, Hans ; it might prevent her from going to 
 church, you know." 
 
 "If you please, I can say you don't think of 
 going to the Frauen church to-morrow morning." 
 
 " Say nothing at all, excepting that I am 
 obliged to her and shall wear the amulet," replied 
 Hamilton, abruptly turning away. 
 
 The Countess Zedwitz, her daughter, and 
 son-in-law, arrived before daybreak the next
 
 Gbe CJarret. 109 
 
 morning. They were at first so agitated that 
 they could not speak a word ; Zedwitz, on the 
 contrary, was perfectly calm. " I expected you, 
 mother," he said, kissing her hand ; " I knew 
 you would come to me, but I wish that dear 
 Agnes and Lengheim had remained at home. You 
 must send them back in the course of the day." 
 
 The Countess spoke long and earnestly with 
 Doctor Berger, and then returned to her son's 
 bedside. She told him that his father continued 
 ill and confined to his room ; that he wished to 
 see him again ; was ready to forget all cause of 
 difference between them, and she hoped, as soon 
 as he could be removed, he would return with her 
 to Edelhof. 
 
 Zedwitz was too weak to discuss his plans for 
 the future, although immediately after the arrival 
 of his relations he had a change for the better. 
 At five o'clock Dr. Berger gave hopes of his re- 
 covery, and an hour afterwards Hamilton was on 
 his way to the Frauen church. 
 
 The rain had turned to sleet, and the sleet to 
 snow since he had last been out. Large flakes 
 now fell noiselessly around him ; he saw them 
 not Hildegarde alone, and alternate hopes and 
 fears that he should not, and hopes that he should, 
 see her, occupied his thoughts. 
 
 There were not many people assembled, but 
 the church is large, the altars numerous, and it 
 was some time before he discovered the kneeling 
 figure of her he sought.
 
 no Gbe Ifmtials. 
 
 Walburg, with her shining braided hair, silver 
 head-dress, and large market-basket on her arm, 
 was standing in the aisle ; her prayers seemed 
 ended, for she gazed cheerfully around her, and 
 even nodded occasionally to her basketed ac- 
 quaintances as they passed. She immediately 
 recognised Hamilton, and stooped down to whis- 
 per to Hildegarde, who instantly rose, and Ham- 
 ilton saw her face suffused with blushes as she 
 walked towards him. They left the church to- 
 gether, and Hildegarde's first words were, " How 
 pale and tired you look ; I hope you are not ill." 
 
 " Not in the least," said Hamilton ; and it did 
 not escape his observation that her principal anx- 
 iety seemed about himself. " You will be glad 
 to hear that Zedwitz is better at last ; we had no 
 hopes of his recovery until about an hour ago." 
 
 " So I have already heard from Mr. Bieder- 
 mann, who was so kind as to call just before I 
 left home." 
 
 " Ah, you have seen Biedermann ? " 
 
 " Yes," and then she added after a pause, 
 "now that Count Zedwitz's family have arrived, 
 you ought to think of yourself, for even if you do 
 not fear infection, you must remember that un- 
 usual fatigue is dangerous at present. You have 
 been two nights without rest you who require 
 so much more sleep than anyone else, as I heard 
 you tell mamma more than once." 
 
 " That was only an excuse for my unpardon- 
 able laziness," replied Hamilton, smiling ; " I in-
 
 (Barret. 
 
 tend to go to Havard's to dress and breakfast 
 before I return to Zedwitz. Have you any mes- 
 sage for him. I shall deliver it faithfully." 
 
 " None, excepting my good wishes," said Hil- 
 degarde, turning away. " Walburg, you may now 
 go to the grocer's I can walk home alone. 
 Good morning, Mr. Hamilton." 
 
 Hamilton bowed gravely, waited with due pro- 
 priety until Walburg was quite out of sight, and 
 then ran after Hildegarde, and endeavoured, 
 while still panting for breath, to thank her for 
 the amulet, and her kind anxiety on his account. 
 
 " My father more than shares my anxiety about 
 you," she said, calmly ; " he was greatly distressed 
 at hearing that mamma had in a manner banished 
 you from our house. Should you get the cholera 
 now, and not be properly taken care of, how 
 could we write to your family ? What could we 
 say to them ? " 
 
 " You mean in case of my death ? By-the-by, 
 I never thought of that. Do not walk so fast 
 I want to speak to you, and I know you must 
 dismiss me at the next turn. Should I die of 
 cholera " 
 
 " It is time enough to talk of death when you 
 are ill," said Hildegarde, hastily. 
 
 " No, it will be too late then. Twenty-four 
 hours are more than enough to finish a man's 
 life now. Will you undertake to write to my 
 sister and arrange my effects ? " 
 
 " Are you joking ? "
 
 Cbe Unittale. 
 
 " Not in the least. You will find in a rose- 
 wood case a number of papers a journal in fact. 
 These papers must be carefully sealed and 
 addressed to my sister. There is also a mini- 
 ature " 
 
 " I know," said Hildegarde. 
 
 " How do you know," cried Hamilton, stooping 
 forward to catch a glimpse of her features, " how 
 do you know anything about that ? " 
 
 " Lina Berger examined your dressing-case 
 one evening when she was in your room. Cres- 
 cenz was present, and naturally told me of the 
 miniature I often reminded her of it." 
 
 " Indeed ! And for what purpose ? " 
 
 " To prevent her forgetting that you had not 
 even a heart to bestow on her." 
 
 " You are right. But to return to the mini- 
 ature ; the original possesses, indeed, a large 
 
 portion of my affection " Hamilton stopped ; 
 
 he had flattered himself that his companion 
 would, in some way, betray feelings either of 
 jealousy or curiosity, but she walked on steadily 
 without looking at him ; and when he paused, 
 she observed, " You must make haste ; we are 
 just at the corner ; you need not tell me about 
 the original, but say what you wish me to do 
 with the picture." 
 
 " Should we never meet again, unfeeling girl," 
 said Hamilton, half laughing, " you must send 
 the picture to my father, for it is my sister Helen's 
 portrait."
 
 (Barrel. 113 
 
 As he spoke, they had reached the place 
 where he knew he must leave her ; she stopped, 
 and said quickly, "Mr. Hamilton, I have in this 
 instance done you great injustice ; I thought 
 your heart was bestowed on the original of the 
 miniature. Without this explanation I should 
 certainly have regarded your conduct towards us 
 as unpardonably heartless ! " 
 
 " Not quite," said Hamilton, lightly ; " I really 
 had a heart at my disposal some time ago ; 
 younger sons are allowed to have hearts in Eng- 
 land, and to give them away as they please ; few 
 people there think it worth while to accept so 
 worthless a thing as a heart alone. In Germany, 
 the same rational idea seems to prevail " 
 
 " Not so," cried Hildegarde, warmly ; " a heart 
 is always of value must be of value to every- 
 one, especially to every woman." 
 
 " You are making a collection of such valu- 
 ables, I think," said Hamilton. " Your cousin's 
 has been forced upon you ; Zedwitz's, to say the 
 least, you tacitly accepted ; what you intend to 
 do with mine " 
 
 " I must go home now," said Hildegarde, 
 glancing uneasily down the street ; " it may be 
 remarked if I stand here so long with you " 
 
 " Do not be alarmed," said Hamilton, smiling ; 
 " I have no intention of ever again favouring 
 you with avowals of affection as absurd as use- 
 less. You are quite right not to listen to me, 
 but you must have the kindness not to listen to
 
 H4 tTbe Initials. 
 
 my midnight representatives either. Such men 
 must not speak for me." 
 
 " Do not think about that any more," said 
 Hildegarde. "I dislike the recollection of my 
 stupidity." 
 
 " If I only knew who it was," said Hamilton, 
 contracting his brows. 
 
 " You possibly suspect Oscar, but when I re- 
 ferred to the subject yesterday evening, he did 
 not in the least understand what I meant, and 
 afterwards denied having seen me from the time 
 I had received my Christmas presents." 
 
 " So, then, it was Zedwitz," said Hamilton, 
 musingly. " I am sorry for it ; our friendship is 
 at an end." 
 
 " Oh, no," cried Hildegarde ; " perhaps it was 
 not Count Zedwitz ; it is not like him to act so ; 
 besides, he never speaks French with me, and 
 and his manners are always so respectful. Oh, 
 no, I do not think I am quite sure it could not 
 have been Count Zedwitz." 
 
 " How can you, who are always so rational and 
 candid, talk so ? You know it must have been 
 one or the other ; no one else could have any 
 motive for asking those questions ; I only 
 wish " 
 
 " And I wish," said Hildegarde, interrupting 
 him, " I wish you would not either think or 
 speak again about this disagreeable affair. Oscar 
 has denied knowing anything about it ; therefore 
 you have no pretence to seek a quarrel with him.
 
 (Sarret. 115 
 
 You have scarcely a right on suspicion to with- 
 draw your friendship from Count Zedwitz." 
 
 " On suspicion ! No ; but I shall certainly 
 ask him if he was on the stairs of your house on 
 Christmas Eve." 
 
 " He will say that he was not." 
 
 " If he do, I shall believe him." 
 
 " And I also," said Hildegarde, moving on- 
 wards. 
 
 " You think highly of Zedwitz ? " 
 
 " Most highly. I have already told you so." 
 
 " And of your cousin ? " 
 
 Hildegarde was silent. 
 
 " And yet you continue intimate with him, and 
 tolerate his rhapsodies ! " 
 
 " He is my cousin he loves me and if you 
 must know all, I fear him now ! " 
 
 " You ! you fear him ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I fear his love and his jealousy his 
 frightful bursts of passion his horrible threats. 
 But, look, there is Walburg just now coming 
 home ; I must enter the house before her. 
 Adieu." 
 
 The Zedwitzes were profuse in their thanks to 
 Hamilton, and used all their eloquence to induce 
 him to return with them to Edelhof ; no argu- 
 ment, however, could prevail on him to quit 
 Munich. Before Zedwitz left, he gave Hamilton 
 the assurance that he had not been in the Rosen- 
 bergs' house on Christmas Eve. " If you require 
 proof," he added, " I can give it. You may re-
 
 n6 Gbe Ifnttials. 
 
 member I told you that I felt very ill. Could a 
 man in the state I was then in think of such 
 mummeries ? besides, when we parted, I went 
 
 home, that is, to our house in Street, changed 
 
 my clothes, which were wet, and drank some 
 wine. You can inquire of our old housekeeper." 
 
 " It is quite unnecessary," said Hamilton. " I 
 should rather apologise for having thought you 
 capable of such conduct, even in joke. Hilde- 
 garde did not for a moment suspect you, although 
 she had heard her cousin's denial." 
 
 " Excellent girl ! she did me but justice. 
 Much as I should like to know her feelings tow- 
 ards me, I never, even if I had an opportunity, 
 would resort to such means of obtaining informa- 
 tion." 
 
 "And what do you think of this denial of 
 Raimund's ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 The carriage rolled to the door. Hamilton 
 assisted his friend down the narrow staircase. 
 " What do you mean to do with yourself until 
 you are allowed to return to the Rosenbergs ? " 
 asked the latter as he pressed heavily on his 
 arm. 
 
 " I shall buy another horse and a sledge. 
 If the snow last, I rather expect some amuse- 
 ment." 
 
 Arrived in the street, Zedwitz was obliged to 
 lean exhausted against the house. He was with 
 great difficulty lifted into the carriage, and as he 
 sank back in the corner, his languid eyes turned
 
 Hbe Discussion. 117 
 
 slowly to the windows of the opposite house. 
 Crescenz and her brothers were looking out, 
 Hildegarde was not visible ; he slightly touched 
 his cap and turned away.. His mother and 
 sister were making a final effort to induce Ham- 
 ilton to remove to Edelhof or Lengheim. Zed- 
 witz saw the uselessness of their endeavours, and 
 calling Hamilton to his side, whispered, " If you 
 should be ill, remember your promise to send for 
 me directly." He then placed his hands on his 
 shoulders, and kissed him on both sides of his 
 face. Completely abashed by this proceeding, 
 Hamilton blushed excessively, and stammered a 
 few incoherent words as the carriage drove off. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE DISCUSSION. 
 
 , Hildegarde ! " cried Crescenz, pushing 
 back her work-table in order to be able 
 to see better from the window. "Oh, Hilde- 
 garde look, look ! There is Mr. Hamilton 
 driving such a beautiful sledge up our street ; 
 and the horses are prancing and dancing, and 
 shaking their red tassels and silver bells ! Oh, 
 how pretty ! How I wish he would take me out 
 with him ! " 
 
 " Babette ! " cried Mr. Rosenberg, from the
 
 us be Initials. 
 
 next room, " Mr. Hamilton is just passing our 
 house, and seems in perfect health. How long 
 do you mean his quarantine to last ? " 
 
 " I have no objection to his returning to-mor- 
 row," answered Madame Rosenberg, who was 
 arranging one of the chests of drawers in the 
 drawing-room. " You may tell him so, if you 
 like, this afternoon." 
 
 " Not I ! " said her husband. " You banished 
 him, and you may recall him, too ; if, however, 
 you really wish him to return, you had better 
 make haste, for he seems to be amusing himself 
 very well at Havard's, and is always surrounded 
 by a number of acquaintances. I must confess 
 I miss him more than I expected." 
 
 " I wish him to return, of course," said Mad- 
 ame Rosenberg, pushing in the drawers with 
 some violence ; " but, for another week or so, I 
 must say I have no objection to his remaining 
 where he is. I can hardly believe that he will 
 escape the cholera he is so careless ! Always 
 going out without a cloak, and being wet through ! 
 wearing thin boots and no flannel waistcoat ! 
 Heating his stove and opening his windows ! 
 Running out in the middle of the night every 
 time there is an alarm about a house on fire ! 
 What can one expect from such doings ? " 
 
 " As you please, my dear," said Mr. Rosen- 
 berg, contentedly. "You know I never had any 
 fancy for lodgers in our house ; he is the first I 
 have been able to tolerate. I think, however,
 
 Discussion. 
 
 you should not allow him to pay for his apart- 
 ments here and at Havard's too ! " 
 
 " Oh, of course not," said his wife ; " though 
 I am sure that is the very last thing he would 
 think about he is excessively careless about 
 money." 
 
 " So it seems and I suspect he is spending 
 more than is necessary at present. He gives 
 suppers every night." 
 
 " I don't believe that ! " 
 
 "You may believe it or rather believe me, 
 for I supped with him after the theatre yester- 
 day." 
 
 "You?" 
 
 " Yes. There were also three young English- 
 men and that little Lieutenant-major who goes 
 everywhere, playings cards and making himself 
 agreeable." 
 
 " Lieutenant-major ! How did Hamilton be- 
 come acquainted with him ? " 
 
 " Oddly enough ; he met him in the English 
 Gardens one evening before he went to Seon, and 
 either knocked him down or was knocked down 
 by him I really forgot which ; but a fact it is 
 that Hamilton invited him to supper without 
 remembering his name, and they insisted on my 
 introducing them formally to each other." 
 
 " Well, to be sure ! " said Madame Rosenberg. 
 " If ever I heard of such a thing ! " 
 
 " He wishes exceedingly to return to us," con- 
 tinued her husband ; " he said so when I was
 
 Gbe flnitfate. 
 
 leaving indeed, he gave me to understand that 
 his guests were merely invited to prevent him 
 from thinking too much of our quiet house- 
 hold ! " 
 
 " Oh, if that be the case, I consider it a sort of 
 duty to bring him back here and out of the way 
 of temptation," said Madame Rosenberg, joining 
 her husband, and leaving Hildegarde and Cres- 
 cenz alone. 
 
 They had been interested auditors of this 
 conversation as they sat together working. 
 
 " How I like him for inviting that Lieutenant- 
 major to supper without knowing his name ! 
 Don't you ? It is so English ! I am very glad 
 he is coming back to us ! " 
 
 " His return ought to be a matter of indiffer- 
 ence to you," said Hildegarde, without looking 
 up. 
 
 " But I cannot be so indifferent as you are ! " 
 said Crescenz, petulantly. " And, though I am 
 going to be married to Major Stultz, Lina Berger 
 says that Mr. Hamilton may still be ' mein schatz ' 
 just the same, and no harm ! " 
 
 " Lina Berger talks great nonsense," said Hil- 
 degarde, with heightened colour. " This is, 
 however, worse than nonsense." 
 
 " And yet she could give you some good 
 advice, if you choose to listen to her," observed 
 Crescenz, nodding her head sagaciously. 
 
 " I do not require any advice from a person I 
 so thoroughly dislike and despise."
 
 2>i6cu06ion. 121 
 
 " Oh, that 's just the same with her ; she says 
 she always disliked you, but that she despises 
 you now that you have fallen in love with Theo- 
 dor Biedermann ! " 
 
 " What an absurd idea ! " said Hildegarde, 
 contemptuously. " Marie de Hoffmann has 
 already told me something of that kind." 
 
 " Lina told me long ago that Mr. Biedermann 
 did not think you at all handsome ! " 
 
 " That I think very probable," said Hildegarde. 
 
 " And she says now, he is just the person to 
 teach you not to fall in love without provoca- 
 tion ! " 
 
 " I think he is more likely to teach me to write 
 German grammatically," answered Hildegarde, 
 with a careless laugh. 
 
 " And do you really not care for anybody, and 
 you a whole year older than I am ! " exclaimed 
 Crescenz, with unfeigned astonishment. " Lina 
 first thought you liked Mr. Hamilton, until I 
 assured her you hated him. Then she said you 
 'had taken a wild kind of fancy to our cousin 
 Oscar. Then she thought you were pretending 
 to like Count Zedwitz on account of his rank 
 and - " 
 
 " I am sure I ought to be obliged to you, 
 Crescenz, for discussing my affairs in this man- 
 ner with my great enemy," said Hildegarde, 
 indignantly. 
 
 " Oh, don't be angry. I assure you she talked 
 all herself. I did not say a single word - "
 
 fnfttals. 
 
 " You forget having confessed that you told 
 her all I confided to you about Count Zedwitz." 
 
 " But you never confided in me at all, Hilde- 
 garde ! All I know was what I overheard 
 when you were so angry about the letter, you 
 know ! " 
 
 " I remember speaking to you about that letter, 
 and telling you to rejoice that you had never any 
 annoyance of the kind." 
 
 " But I assure you, Lina had heard everything 
 from the Doctor " 
 
 " Pshaw ! " cried Hildegarde, pushing back her 
 chair, " there is no use talking to you ! " 
 
 " I am quite prepared for remarks of this 
 kind," said Crescenz, with a ludicrous imitation 
 of Hildegarde' s natural dignity of manner ; " Lina 
 says there is no bearing you since I have been 
 engaged to be married ! " 
 
 " So," said Hildegarde, throwing down her 
 work ; " but I do not quite understand the " 
 
 " Oh, it is easily understood you are older, 
 and think you ought to have been the first." 
 
 "This is really too absurd," cried Hildegarde, 
 laughing good-humouredly. 
 
 " Oh, laugh as much as you please but since 
 we have returned from Seon you have become 
 quite a different person ! " 
 
 " Did Lina put that into your head also ? " 
 asked Hildegarde, quickly. 
 
 " Oh, no," cried Crescenz, while her eyes filled 
 with tears, " I did not require Lina to point that
 
 IDfscussfon. 123 
 
 out to me. Silly as you think me I can feel 
 you are quite changed." 
 
 Hildegarde bit her lip walked to the window 
 came hastily back again, and throwing her 
 arms round her sister, kissed her cheek, while 
 she whispered : " Dear girl, I am not in the least 
 changed in my affection for you ; but you know 
 yourself that every word I speak to you is re- 
 peated to Lina Berger ; and how can you expect 
 me to trust you ? " 
 
 "But," said Crescenz, looking up, "but you 
 know I often repeated what you said when we 
 were at school, and you only scolded a little 
 sometimes. Now you scarcely ever get into a 
 passion, and are so cold and so careful what you 
 say just like Mademoiselle Hortense ! " 
 
 " Like Mademoiselle Hortense ? " 
 
 " Oh, I don't mean that you have her thick 
 nose and high shoulders," said Crescenz, smiling 
 through her tears, "but you scarcely take any 
 notice of me, and are always talking of books 
 with Hamilton ! " Hildegarde was silent. " And 
 then you speak English now more than French, 
 and Lina says - " 
 
 " Don't tell me what she says, don't name her 
 to me again," cried Hildegarde, impatiently. 
 
 " No no, I won't," said Crescenz, alarmed. 
 
 " Odious person," continued Hildegarde, turn- 
 ing away, " I can never forgive her for having 
 embittered the last weeks we shall probably ever 
 spend together."
 
 124 be flnftfals. 
 
 " Well," said Crescenz, drying her eyes, " at 
 all events, we shall get on better after my mar- 
 riage. You know you must have a sort of respect 
 for me then." 
 
 Hildegarde turned round to see if her sister 
 were joking ; but Crescenz looked perfectly 
 serious. 
 
 " Respect is due to married persons," she con- 
 tinued, neatly folding up the work which her 
 sister had thrown on the chair. " Mamma says 
 so and then, you know, I shall be quite another 
 sort of person, when I am the mother of a 
 family " 
 
 Hildegarde laughed unrestrainedly. 
 
 " Madame Lustig says I may have a dozen 
 children ! They shall all have pretty names 
 not one of them shall be called Blazius, that I am 
 determined they shall be Albert, Maximilian, 
 Ferdinard, Adolph, Philibert." 
 
 " Philibert is not a pretty name," said Hilde- 
 garde, interrupting her merrily. 
 
 " Don't you think so ? Well, we can choose 
 another, Conrad for instance ? " 
 
 " Or Oscar ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, because I should imagine a sort of 
 resemblance to cousin Oscar, and I don't quite 
 like him that is, not very much, though he is 
 my cousin. He is very cross sometimes, indeed 
 almost always to your friend Marie but, oh ! 
 Hildegarde, one very pretty name we have for- 
 gotten, and of a very handsome person too
 
 Sle&ge. 125 
 
 Alfred ! Mr. Hamilton, you know is not Alfred 
 a pretty name ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " And he is certainly handsome ? Even you 
 must allow that ? " 
 
 Hildegarde was spared the answer, for Mad- 
 ame Rosenberg entered the room, and having 
 discovered that the tip of Crescenz's little nose 
 was red, immediately declared it was from want 
 of exercise, and sent both sisters to play at bat- 
 tledore and shuttlecock in the nursery with their 
 brothers. 
 
 She then despatched a messenger to Hamilton 
 which caused his immediate return to her house. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE SLEDGE. 
 
 IT AMILTON'S sledge was the subject of dis- 
 cussion the very first evening of his return 
 he of course proposed their making use of it, 
 and assured Madame Rosenberg that she might 
 trust herself and her daughters to his care with- 
 out fear. 
 
 " Oh, dear, I 'm sure I should not be in the 
 least afraid," cried Crescenz. 
 
 " And yet you are the greatest coward in the 
 house," said her mother. " I am sure you will
 
 126 Cbe ffnitials. 
 
 scream so often that Mr. Hamilton will refuse to 
 take you a second time." 
 
 " Allow me to observe," said Major Stultz, his 
 face increasing in redness as he spoke " and I 
 conceive I have some right to give an opinion 
 on the subject that I totally disapprove of Cres- 
 cenz's going out in Mr. Hamilton's sledge." 
 
 " Are you afraid to trust her to my care ? " 
 asked Hamilton, laughing. 
 
 Major Stultz rapped on the table with his fin- 
 gers, and looked significantly towards Madame 
 Rosenberg. 
 
 "You surely do not think I shall be so 
 awkward as to upset the sledge ? " continued 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " I have the highest opinion of you, Mr. Ham- 
 ilton, the highest opinion where horses are 
 concerned," began Major Stultz, with some 
 embarrassment, while Hamilton rubbed his 
 upper lip to hide a smile. " Had you a carriage 
 instead of a sledge, the case would be different, 
 and I but I see you understand me." 
 
 " Not in the least," said Hamilton, looking up 
 in unfeigned astonishment. 
 
 " Crescenz does, however," said Major Stultz, 
 turning to his betrothed, whose face was suffused 
 with blushes. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg had been occupied with 
 little Peppy she was arranging the broken har- 
 ness of a wooden cart-horse, which had been 
 dragged somewhat roughly round the room. She
 
 SleDge. 127 
 
 now looked up, and observed in a low voice, and 
 with a sort of expressive wink at Major Stultz, 
 " Mr. Hamilton, being an Englishman, knows 
 nothing about sledging rights. Keep your own 
 counsel, and he will never think of claiming it." 
 
 " He may claim it from whoever he pleases," 
 cried Major Stultz, bluntly ; " but not from my 
 Crescenz, that 's all." 
 
 " What is it what is my right ? What may I 
 claim ? " asked Hamilton, quickly. 
 
 No one seemed disposed to explain, until at 
 length Madame Rosenberg replied, laughing, 
 " Neither more nor less than a kiss, which is a 
 sort of old privilege allowed a gentleman if he 
 drive a lady in a sledge ! Now I know that from 
 me you will not claim it, because I am neither 
 young nor pretty nor from Hildegarde, because 
 you don't like her well enough nor from Cres- 
 cenz, because she is betrothed. So really, 
 Major, I see no reason for making such a serious 
 face." 
 
 " I intend to drive Crescenz myself in a sledge," 
 said Major Stultz ; " I take it for granted she will 
 enjoy it as much with me as with Mr. Hamilton." 
 
 Crescenz bent her head over her work, and 
 said not a word. 
 
 A heavy fall of snow during the night, and a 
 clear blue sky the next day, proved most propi- 
 tious ; and after dinner the sledge was brought 
 to the door. Madame Rosenberg and her son 
 Gustle were carefully assisted by Hamilton into
 
 128 Gbe Unftlals. 
 
 the light fantastic vehicle, while Hans, not un- 
 necessarily, held the horses' heads. No sooner 
 were the spirited animals released than they 
 bounded forward with a vehemence which caused 
 Madame Rosenberg to utter an only half -sup- 
 pressed scream, while the child, participating in 
 his mother's alarm, seized Hamilton's arm, and 
 clung to it with all his strength. One of the 
 horses reared dangerously. " Gustle, you must 
 not touch my arm or the reins ! " cried Hamilton, 
 shaking him off. " They will be quiet in a mo- 
 ment," he added to Madame Rosenberg, who 
 had closed her eyes and compressed her lips as 
 if prepared for the worst ; but notwithstanding 
 all his endeavours, the horses pranced and 
 danced and bounded, to the great admiration of 
 the passers-by, while poor Madame Rosenberg 
 sat in a sort of agony. She did not speak a word 
 until they had reached the Nymphenburg road, 
 but there every sledge they met increased her 
 terrors, and at length she spoke " Oh, dear, 
 good, excellent Mr. Hamilton turn back and 
 take me home again I know you are too good- 
 natured to enjoy my anxiety if it were only for 
 
 Gustle's sake, see Oh ! Ah ! The child 
 
 is frightened to death almost, and no wonder ! 
 I declare if I had not come out in my slippers I 
 would walk home oh, pray stop turn before 
 we meet that sledge coming towards us. When 
 your horses hear the bells of the other sledges, 
 they get quite wild ! Dear, kind Mr. Hamilton,
 
 Slefcge. 129 
 
 I shall love you all my life if you will only take 
 us home again." 
 
 Gustle, shocked by his mother's unwonted 
 humility of manner, and imagining himself in the 
 most imminent danger, commenced roaring with 
 all his might, and Hamilton turned his horses, 
 while assuring Madame Rosenberg they were the 
 gentlest animals in the world, and it was only the 
 fine weather that had put them in spirits. 
 
 On their return they found a respectable-look- 
 ing hackney coach placed on a sledge waiting at 
 the door. Crescenz, her little brother Peppy, 
 and Major Stultz were preparing to enter it. 
 
 "I will go with you," cried Madame Rosen- 
 berg, joining them, " Gustle must not lose his 
 drive Mr. Hamilton's horses are much too wild 
 for me ! " 
 
 " I thought as much," said Major Stultz, with 
 evident satisfaction. 
 
 " Am I permitted to ask Mademoiselle Hilde- 
 garde to go with me ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " Yes, but you must tell her how your horses 
 have frightened me, and you must promise to 
 drive on the Nymphenburg road where we can 
 see you, and you must not go farther than the 
 palace,, and back again." 
 
 " Agreed," said Hamilton. 
 
 " And you must on no account quit the sledge, 
 or enter the inn." 
 
 " Of course not." 
 
 Hildegarde was surprised to see him so soon 
 
 VOL. II. 8
 
 Gbe Initials. 
 
 again. He explained, and asked her if she were 
 afraid to trust herself to his care. 
 
 " No, I believe you drive well." 
 
 " Rather but I have never had a sledge until 
 now and they seem slippery concerns." 
 
 " I have heard that being thrown out of one 
 is more uncomfortable than dangerous," said 
 Hildegarde, laughing as she entered her room 
 to dress herself. 
 
 The horses pawed the half-frozen snow, and 
 were even more impatient than before but this 
 time no hand was laid on his arm, no stifled 
 scream vexed his ear. Hildegarde admired the 
 silver serpents which ornamented the front of 
 the sledge the silver bells which glittered on 
 the harness, and the gay scarlet tassels which the 
 horses flung in the air with every movement 
 the blue sky the dazzling snow ; and Hamilton, 
 perfectly reassured, was soon able to prove to his 
 horses that he no longer feared to correct them. 
 
 In a few minutes they had overtaken and 
 passed the hackney sledge, containing the rest of 
 the party, nor was it long before they reached 
 Nymphenburg. 
 
 " What shall we do now ? " said Hamilton. " I 
 promised your mother not to go farther .than the 
 palace ; I am sure the others are not yet half- 
 way here ; must we go home so soon ? " 
 
 " Drive round and round this enclosure until 
 they come, it will amuse us and exercise the 
 horses," replied Hildegarde.
 
 Sle&ge. 131 
 
 They drove round several times, each time 
 quicker than the preceding, while Hans, with 
 extraordinary energy, cracked the pliant leather 
 whip peculiar to sledges. Several people col- 
 lected to look on, among others a carter, with an 
 empty wagon. One of his horses was young and 
 unbroken ; as the sledge passed, it plunged, and 
 rattled its heavy harness ; Hamilton's horses 
 shied, dashed into the deep snow heaped up be- 
 side the road, upset the sledge, and then strug- 
 gled violently to make themselves free. Hamil- 
 ton still contrived to hold the reins until his 
 servant came to his assistance, and then rushed 
 to Hildegarde, who had been thrown to some dis- 
 tance. A crowd had soon gathered round her. 
 
 "Hildegarde, dearest, are you hurt?" he 
 asked, anxiously. 
 
 "Not in the least," she answered, laughing, 
 while she shook the snow from her cloak, " not 
 in the least ; I was thrown at the first jerk into 
 the fresh snow, and every time I attempted to 
 get up I fell back again, until I received assist- 
 ance, for which I thank you," she said, turning 
 to some strangers ; and then she added hur- 
 riedly to Hamilton, " Let us go home." 
 
 The sledge had been easily set to rights, and 
 they once more drove off at a furious pace. 
 
 " As wild a young pair as ever I saw," observed 
 an officer to his wife, as they turned towards the 
 inn to rest, and refresh themselves with a cup 
 of coffee.
 
 Initials. 
 
 "We have disobeyed your mother," began 
 Hamilton, " unintentionally indeed, but " 
 
 " How do you mean ? " 
 
 "Why, she forbade our leaving the sledge on 
 any account whatever," said Hamilton, laugh- 
 ing ; " now, I don't in the least mind being 
 lectured by her, but I confess I do not enjoy the 
 idea of Major Stultz's triumph. How unmerci- 
 fully I shall be laughed at ! " 
 
 " I don't see any necessity for saying anything 
 about the matter," said Hildegarde ; "if you 
 choose to be silent, I shall never refer to the 
 subject ; in fact, I was altogether to blame, it 
 was my proposition driving round that enclosure, 
 and it was I who encouraged you to worry the 
 horses, in order to show you that I was not 
 afraid of them." 
 
 " The carter and his young horse were to 
 blame," said Hamilton ; " he ought not to have 
 come so close to us ; but I should be very glad 
 to escape Major Stultz's heavy raillery. Do you 
 hear, Hans you fell out of the sledge in your 
 sleep not even to your father must you say 
 otherwise than that my horses are as steady as 
 oxen. Do you understand ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 Perhaps the fear of being questioned induced 
 Hamilton when returning to pass the others so 
 quickly that he did not hear their cries to him 
 to stop and return to Nymphenburg. Perhaps 
 the wish to be once more alone with his com-
 
 ttbe 5leJ>0e. 133 
 
 panion for half an hour made him urge his 
 horses to their hardest trot : if the latter had 
 been his object, his annoyance may be conceived 
 when, on reaching home, just as they had begun 
 to ascend the stairs together, gayly laughing, he 
 perceived Count Raimund standing above them. 
 He had seen their arrival from the Hoffmanns' 
 window, and rushed out under pretence of a 
 joke, but, in reality, to waylay them. Hamilton 
 could not conceal his vexation ; he frowned, and 
 muttered the words " Everlasting bore ! " which 
 made Hildegarde's countenance change in a 
 manner that irritated her cousin. " Hildegarde, 
 I must speak to you," he began abruptly. 
 
 "Speak on," she said, continuing to ascend 
 the stairs. 
 
 " I must ask you a question and we must 
 be alone." 
 
 "You are peremptory ask differently, and 
 per haps I may comply with your request." 
 
 Count Raimund grasped not gently his 
 cousin's arm she turned round became very 
 pale and requested Hamilton, in a low voice, 
 to go up stairs she would follow him directly. 
 
 " Do you really wish me to go ? " he asked, 
 hesitatingly. " Do you remain willingly with 
 your cousin ? Remember," he added indig- 
 nantly, " the nearest relationship cannot authorise 
 such " 
 
 Count Raimund made a violent gesture 
 Hildegarde placed herself between them, and
 
 134 Gbe Initials. 
 
 said hurriedly, " I I do wish to speak to Oscar," 
 and Hamilton instantly left them. 
 
 Directly he was gone her manner totally 
 changed. "Your question, Oscar, and quickly," 
 she said, haughtily, "I have no intention of 
 remaining on the cold staircase more than a few 
 minutes." 
 
 " Gently, gently, Hildegarde you think the 
 danger is over now your treasure is out of sight 
 but you see how ready he is to quarrel, with 
 all his coolness be careful, for " 
 
 "Your question," said Hildegarde, leaning 
 against the wall, with a sigh of resignation. 
 
 " Did this a this Englishman condescend to 
 claim his sledging right from you ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Did he not think it worth while ? " said Rai- 
 mund, sneeringly. 
 
 " Very probably. Have you anything else to 
 observe ? " 
 
 " Yes, false girl ! " cried Raimund, vehe- 
 mently, " you know this is not the case you know 
 this is not the case you know he loves you his 
 every look betrays him ; but, by heaven, if you 
 grant him what I, your nearest relative, have so 
 long implored in vain his life shall be the 
 forfeit " 
 
 " Always threatening ! " exclaimed Hildegarde, 
 indignantly. 
 
 " It is my only means to obtain a moment's 
 attention from you. He little knows that to his
 
 Slefcge. 135 
 
 influence alone I am indebted for every favour 
 for every common civility I receive from you ! " 
 
 " He little knows that, indeed ! " said Hilde- 
 garde, bitterly, " were he aware of it, he would 
 soon release me from my thraldom." 
 
 " Tell him tell him. I desire nothing more 
 than that matters should come to extremities. 
 You look incredulous, Hildegarde. Hear me, 
 and judge for yourself. Pecuniary difficulties 
 have often made men put an end to their exist- 
 ence and you know what mine are ! Add to 
 this a violent and hopeless love, and the certainty 
 of being obliged, in a week or ten days, to marry 
 a person for whom I never can feel a particle 
 of either affection or admiration ! " 
 
 " But who is worthy of both ! " cried Hil- 
 degarde. 
 
 " Perhaps so I wish Marie every happiness 
 with another for myself," he added, folding his 
 arms and looking musingly down the stairs ; 
 " I wish to die, to die soon and quickly but 
 not by my own hand. They say it is a fearful 
 crime to commit suicide. Were I certain of 
 being shot by Hamilton, I should not hesitate 
 he must then leave Bavaria and you for ever 
 
 but the chances are I should shoot him 1 
 
 hate him so intensely that the temptation would 
 be more than I could resist." 
 
 " Horrible ! " cried Hildegarde, covering her 
 face with her hands. " How can you deliber- 
 ately think of committing murder ? "
 
 136 Ube Ifnttials. 
 
 " That 's it that 's what I mean ; you see, 
 Hildegarde, death is my only resource ; but I 
 shudder at the thought of staining my hands 
 with other blood than my own. The double 
 crime is more than I can resolve upon." 
 
 " Ah, I see now," said she, forcing a smile ; 
 " you are only trying to frighten me, as you have 
 often done before." 
 
 He shook his head, and continued. " As long 
 as I had the faintest hope of obtaining your 
 affection, I was a different being ; you might 
 have made of me what you pleased and I should 
 have gained your love but for this supercilious 
 Englishman, for you were disposed to like me at 
 first." 
 
 " As a relation yes." 
 
 " More than that much more, Hildegarde," 
 cried Raimund, vehemently. 
 
 " And had I loved you more than as a cousin, 
 what purpose would it have served ? Our rela- 
 tionship is too near to permit of a marriage." 
 
 " Nothing easier than obtaining a dispensa- 
 tion," cried Raimund, eagerly, and in a moment 
 losing all violence of manner and voice. 
 
 " But we are both without fortune," said Hil- 
 degarde. 
 
 " I could quit the army. There are many 
 situations which I could obtain. We should be 
 poor, indeed, very poor ; but what is poverty 
 when Oh ! Hildegarde, has this considera- 
 tion caused your coldness, or are you What
 
 Sle&ge. 137 
 
 a fool I am ! " he exclaimed, passionately. " She 
 treats me like a madman from whom she would 
 escape without witnessing a paroxysm ! Go, you 
 have tortured me deliberately most horribly. 
 Go, I would hate you if I could ! " 
 
 Hildegarde began slowly to ascend the stairs ; 
 as she turned to the next flight an unusual sound 
 made her look downwards, and she perceived 
 her cousin vainly endeavouring to suppress the 
 fearful emotion which agitated his whole frame. 
 A man's tears are a phenomenon too rare to be 
 seen unmoved. Hildegarde stopped, and held 
 out her hand. " Oscar, dear Oscar, what I said 
 was not in heartlessness, but in the hope of con- 
 vincing you of the utter impossibility of our 
 ever being more to each other than cousins. 
 Think of your solemn engagement to Marie of 
 your promises to your father. Remember that 
 no situation you could ever obtain would enable 
 you to pay your debts ! " 
 
 " True most true. I was dreaming just now," 
 said Raimund, with forced composure. " I am 
 sorry to have kept you so long here in the cold. 
 Go, Mr. Hamilton is waiting for you ! " 
 
 " He is not. I shall most probably not see 
 him until evening." 
 
 Raimund looked up, smiled mournfully, and 
 then rushed down the stairs. 
 
 A minute later Hildegarde was in her room ; 
 her cloak and boa almost suffocated her, and 
 she shook them off impatiently, sank on a
 
 138 Gbe flnfttate. 
 
 chair, and murmured : " What shall I do ? 
 What ought I to do ? Oscar will quarrel with 
 him kill him, and I shall be the cause. He 
 must leave Munich leave us, and return to 
 England." Here she sprang from her chair, and 
 walked up and down the room for a few minutes. 
 " Is there, then, no other way of keeping him 
 out of danger ? Suppose he could be induced to 
 
 go to the Z 's ? He said he intended to visit 
 
 them. If he only could go until after Oscar's 
 marriage ? A fortnight only two weeks, and all 
 danger would be over ! I must speak to him, 
 even if he insists on knowing everything. I 
 wonder if he is in the drawing-room ? " 
 
 He was not, nor in the school-room, and she 
 had not the courage to seek him in his apart- 
 ment. She hoped to find an opportunity in the 
 course of the next day, although with female 
 quickness she had already observed that he no 
 longer sought to be alone with her, or in any way 
 to occupy her attention. Hamilton's motives 
 were honourable, but he could scarcely have 
 chosen a more judicious mode of conduct in 
 order to facilitate their intercourse ; it had al- 
 ready convinced Mr. Rosenberg of his indiffer- 
 ence to his daughter just when he had began to 
 entertain suspicions to the contrary, and con- 
 firmed Madame Rosenberg in the idea that 
 Hamilton actually disliked her. 
 
 After wandering about the house for some 
 time, Hildegarde returned to her room, and en-
 
 SIeD0e, 139 
 
 deavoured to arrange her thoughts, and her balls 
 of coloured worsted and silks, until the return of 
 her family. They came late, and talked loudly 
 and gayly on their arrival. When Crescenz 
 entered the room, she immediately exclaimed, 
 " Oh ! Hildegarde, we have had such a pleasant 
 party such a number of people, and such good 
 coffee ! and the Bergers. Oh dear, I was so 
 sorry that you and - but I had almost forgot- 
 ten, mamma says you must make tea directly for 
 Mr. Hamilton, he is going to the theatre, there is 
 an opera, and he wishes to hear the overture." 
 
 Hildegarde pushed back her work-frame, and 
 left the room to seek the breakfast service of 
 highly gilt china, which Madame Rosenberg had 
 received as a wedding present, and which, though 
 certainly intended by the donor to have been 
 "kept for show," she had latterly appropriated 
 to Hamilton's use, whenever he drank tea alone, 
 and this was generally the case the evenings he 
 went to the theatre. When she carried it to the 
 drawing-room, she found her father, mother, and 
 Major Stultz with him, and as she poured out 
 the weak beverage, and arranged the plate of 
 bread and butter, her mother continued speaking 
 " We thought you did not choose to hear us 
 but then what motive could you have ? " 
 
 " What ! indeed ! " said Hamilton. 
 
 "The Major shouted the words Nymphenburg 
 and coffee as loud as he could ; he thought 
 they might give you an idea what we meant."
 
 140 Gbe Ifnttials. 
 
 " We heard nothing. The confounded bells 
 made such a noise." 
 
 " The bells are very useful when it grows 
 foggy, or dark, as we found this evening," ob- 
 served Major Stultz. 
 
 " Hildegarde, you may light the candles Mr. 
 Hamilton cannot find the way to his mouth." 
 
 Hildegarde brought them, while Crescenz, who 
 had joined the others, continued repeating : " So 
 pleasant, so gay ! So many people ! And then 
 about the upset did you relate about that ? " 
 
 " No," cried Hamilton, looking up ; " pray tell 
 me about it. You don't mean to say you were 
 upset ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ! But a young Englishman and his 
 wife were thrown out of their sledge to-day 
 when they were driving around the palings at 
 Nymphenburg. Captain What-'s-his-name told 
 us all about it, and they were so young and so 
 handsome, he said." 
 
 " Your countrymen can drive mail-coaches 
 better than sledges," said Major Stultz, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 " It is not proved that they were English," 
 said Hamilton, with a smile only perceptible to 
 Hildegarde. " They may have been Germans." 
 
 " Zimmermann said they were certainly Eng- 
 lish, and he understands the language. The 
 lady thanked him in French for extricating her 
 out of the snow ; he says she was quite English- 
 looking, and uncommonly handsome ! "
 
 ttbe Sledge. 141 
 
 " I have no doubt of his judgment on that 
 subject," said Hamilton. 
 
 " And," said Crescenz, " her husband seemed 
 so fond of her, and said all sorts of things 
 to her when he assisted her into the sledge 
 again ! " 
 
 " All sorts of things ! " cried Hamilton, laugh- 
 ing ; " such as, for instance " 
 
 " Oh, I cannot say the English words I have 
 never heard you say anything that sounded like 
 them." 
 
 " Of course not I must wait until I have a 
 wife, I suppose." 
 
 Hildegarde's face had flushed during this con- 
 versation. Hamilton seemed so much amused 
 with it, that he forgot the overture he had been 
 so anxious to hear. " Your friend did not know 
 at all who they were ? " he asked, bending over his 
 tea-cup. 
 
 " Not in the least," answered Major Stultz ; 
 " but the lady made a great impression on Zim- 
 mermann, he seemed altogether to have fallen in 
 love with her ! " 
 
 " Oh, ho ! " exclaimed Mr. Rosenberg, " what 
 did his wife say to that ? " 
 
 " She said she had no cause for jealousy, the 
 Englishwoman did not look at anyone she only 
 seemed anxious to assure her husband that she 
 was not in the least hurt, though she must have 
 been considerably bruised, and she appeared to 
 wish everyone else at the bottom of the sea !
 
 142 Gbe flnftfals. 
 
 A good example for you, Crescenz, next month, 
 eh?" 
 
 Crescenz looked silly, and turned away. 
 
 " Half-past six ! " cried Mr. Rosenberg, look- 
 ing at his watch ; " I must be off. Mr. Hamilton 
 seems to forget that he intended to go with me to 
 the theatre. The overture will be over." 
 
 " But not the ballet," said Hamilton, " and the 
 ballet in Robert is what I like best ; if I be in 
 time for that and the Princess's aria, I am satis- 
 fied." 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg, who went regularly four times 
 a week to the theatre, and particularly disliked 
 arriving late, partly from the fear of being 
 obliged to walk over his neighbours' feet in 
 order to reach his chair, partly from long habits 
 of punctuality, after a few minutes' indulgence of 
 civilly expressive impatience, quitted the room, 
 bowing over his watch, which he still held, in his 
 hand, as a sort of excuse to Hamilton. 
 
 " I thought you intended to go too ? " said 
 Crescenz to Major Stultz. 
 
 " Yes, Zimmermann has given me his place 
 to-night, but I believe I shall wait for Mr. Ham- 
 ilton." 
 
 " I shall be delighted," said Hamilton, " but 
 you must not expect me to leave this warm room 
 for an hour at least." 
 
 "An hour ! " exclaimed Major Stultz ; "why, 
 half the opera will be over." 
 
 " Very likely, but I have heard it so often."
 
 Gbe SleOge, 143 
 
 " Do you forget the ballet ? " 
 
 " Very likely I shall," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I knew," cried Crescenz, " I knew he did not 
 really care for the ballet." 
 
 " Excuse me, but I do care for the ballet, and 
 I should care more for it if the dancers were 
 prettier, and had not such thick ankles ! " 
 
 " Smooth waters run deep," said Major Stultz. 
 " It is a pity, Crescenz, your mother did not hear 
 that speech, she would hardly have believed her 
 own ears ! " 
 
 " Why not ? " said Hamilton. " Do you mean 
 to say that you do not, or did not formerly, like 
 seeing a ballet and pretty women too ? " 
 
 " We will not discuss this subject in the pres- 
 ence of the young ladies," said Major Stultz. 
 
 " There is nothing to discuss," said Hamilton, 
 carelessly ; " I like seeing pretty faces, and 
 pretty ankles, and graceful figures, and I believe 
 I am not singular in my taste ; perhaps, however, 
 you prefer the flowing hair which will be ex- 
 hibited to-night. By-the-by, one girl has the 
 very longest and thickest hair I ever saw. Have 
 you not observed it ? " 
 
 " Yes ; Crescenz 's, however, is nearly as long, 
 I should think," replied Major Stultz, touching 
 the thick plats which were wound round the back 
 of her head. 
 
 " She would make a charming ballet-dancer in 
 every respect," murmured Hamilton in French, 
 while he laughingly glanced at her.
 
 144 be flnittals. 
 
 " What does he say ? " asked Major Stultz, who 
 observed that Crescenz blushed and smiled alter- 
 nately. " What does he say ? " 
 
 " To think of his caring so much for a ballet ! " 
 answered Crescenz, evasively, while she still 
 blushed, and then laughed as she added, " and 
 you know all mamma said about his being 
 religious, and not going out in the evenings, or 
 on Sunday to the theatre." 
 
 " I suspect your mother has a better opinion 
 of him than he deserves," whispered Major Stultz. 
 Crescenz, however, shook her head so incred- 
 ulously, or so coquettishly, that he added, " Do 
 not think me jealous ; it is impossible, now that 
 I know who is the real object of his devotion." 
 
 " Ah, you mean Hildegarde," said Crescenz, 
 carelessly. 
 
 " Oh, no." 
 
 " Who then ? " asked Crescenz, turning towards 
 him quickly, curiosity depicted in every feature, 
 "who?" 
 
 " I can scarcely tell you as he has chosen a 
 married woman " 
 
 Crescenz looked aghast. Major Stultz's jeal- 
 ousy conquered his usual circumspection the 
 moment was too favourable for making an im- 
 pression he bent towards her and whispered, 
 " No other than your friend, Madame Berger." 
 
 " Impossible ! " 
 
 " Certain, nevertheless. When your mother 
 forbade his returning here, he was invited to
 
 tTbe SleDge. 145 
 
 spend his disengaged evenings at her house. He 
 knows the Doctor well ; besides, Berger is Zed- 
 witz's physician, and they have often met lately. 
 Had the thing been feasible, Hamilton would, I 
 have no doubt, have taken up his quarters in 
 their house ! " 
 
 Crescenz for once in her life seemed to think, 
 and think deeply. All Major Stultz's efforts to 
 continue the conversation were fruitless ; she 
 bent her head over her work, and scarcely heard 
 his excuses and regrets that he was going to the 
 theatre without her. After he had left the room, 
 there was a long pause. Hildegarde had been 
 leaning her head on her hand for the last half 
 hour, apparently unconscious of what was going 
 on about her. Crescenz moved softly towards 
 her, and on pretence of consulting her about 
 her work, contrived to relate what she had just 
 heard. 
 
 Hildegarde became so suddenly and remark- 
 ably pale, that Hamilton, who was in the habit 
 of watching her, immediately perceived it, and 
 exclaimed, " What is the matter ? Are you 
 ill ? " 
 
 " Not in the least," she answered, hastily 
 rising and walking to the other end of the room. 
 
 " But is it not odious ? " cried Crescenz, indig- 
 nantly ; " she is the very last person I should 
 have thought of ! " 
 
 " And the very first I should have suspected," 
 said Hildegarde. 
 
 VOL. n. 10
 
 146 . be Initials. 
 
 The house-bell rang, and a slight noise in the 
 passage was followed by the entrance of the per- 
 son who had been the subject of conversation. 
 " How very odd ! " exclaimed Crescenz, while 
 Madame Berger, advancing towards Hamilton, 
 held out her hand, saying, " A r Anglaise ; how I 
 like your English custom of shaking hands it is 
 so friendly ! Bon soir, Hildegarde. Give me a 
 kiss, Cressy. Here I am, come all in the snow 
 on foot to talk over our first ball, eh ? and to ar- 
 range the party of which we spoke," she added, 
 turning to Hamilton. 
 
 " How provoking and I am just preparing to 
 go to the theatre ! " 
 
 " You most uncivil person ! Can you not 
 bestow half an hour on me ? " 
 
 " An hour two hours, if you in the slightest 
 degree wish it. My regrets were for myself." 
 
 Hildegarde and Crescenz looked at each other. 
 
 " I have not," he continued gayly, " forgotten 
 the pleasant evenings which I spent in your house 
 during my banishment they will ever remain 
 among my most agreeable recollections." 
 
 " Perhaps I may give them a place among mine 
 too," said Madame Berger, seating herself on the 
 sofa, and taking her knitting apparatus out of her 
 pocket. Her fingers were soon in such quick 
 motion, that it was impossible to follow them, but 
 so expert was she in this kind of work, that her 
 head turned in every direction, and her eyes 
 wandered round the room as if she had been
 
 Gbe SleDge. 147 
 
 totally unoccupied. "Why, girls, what is the 
 matter with you both this evening ? I never saw 
 you so dull. We can fancy ourselves t$te-&-t&te" 
 she said, laughingly, to Hamilton, " if you would 
 only cease playing with your teaspoon and sit 
 down beside me here." 
 
 Hamilton immediately took the offered place, 
 and Madame Berger, half playfully, half mali- 
 ciously, turned quite away from the sisters. 
 " Well," she continued, glancing covertly towards 
 them ; " to-morrow is our first ball ; of course 
 you have heard of our muslin dresses and wreaths 
 of roses ? " 
 
 " No," said Hamilton, " I only returned here 
 yesterday evening, and have heard nothing about 
 it. Where is the ball ? " 
 
 " At the Museum. You are a member of the 
 club, I believe it is there you read the foreign 
 newspapers, you know. I shall keep a waltz or 
 galop for you." 
 
 " To-morrow, did you say ? and I am invited 
 to a private ball at Court ! If it were only the 
 day after ! " 
 
 " This all comes from cholera ! " cried Mad- 
 ame Berger, in a tone of vexation. " Everything 
 heaped together at the end of the carnival ! 
 There is to be a masquerade at the theatre on 
 Monday ; you said you wished to go to one ; 
 let us at least arrange something about that." 
 
 " Can you not promise to be of the party ? " 
 said Hamilton, turning to Hildegarde.
 
 148 Cbe ITnttiate. 
 
 " It will altogether depend upon papa," she 
 answered coldly, and then left the room without 
 looking towards the speakers. 
 
 " Come here, Crescenz," said Madame Berger, 
 " come here, and I will tell you how we can man- 
 age it : your mother intends to go some day or 
 other to see her father. Why not on Monday, if 
 Mr. Hamilton offers his sledge ? " 
 
 " Oh, she is so afraid of his horses, that noth- 
 ing would tempt her to take them." 
 
 " Well, then, the Doctor must lend his old 
 greys, for on Monday both she and your father 
 must be out of the way. Don't be so stupid as 
 to say this to Hildegarde, however ! " 
 
 " Oh, mamma will never trust us with you 
 alone," said Crescenz. 
 
 " I suspected as much, and have engaged old 
 Lustig to go with us ; she will do whatever we 
 please, and I have promised to arrange a ' bat ' 
 for her like my own ; we will all go as bats. 
 Shall we be black or white ? " 
 
 " Which is the most becoming?" asked Crescenz. 
 
 " Becoming ! why, child, I do believe you 
 don't know what I mean. A bat as mask means 
 a domino so arranged that one cannot see even 
 the form of the head, the smallest lock of hair, 
 or even quite know whether the person be a man 
 or woman." 
 
 " I thought we should have had something 
 pretty," said Crescenz, disappointed, " such as 
 Grecian costumes,"
 
 tTbe Sle&ge. 149 
 
 " You may dress yourself as a Greek or a 
 Turk, if you like, but you may be recognised 
 and tormented. For my part, I go to worry 
 others, and have decided on a black domino a 
 complete capuchin ; Mr. Hamilton and Madame 
 Lustig the same ; you and Hildegarde may of 
 course arrange as you please." 
 
 " Oh dear ! I am afraid Hildegarde will not 
 go without asking papa's leave." 
 
 " Don't say a word more about the matter to 
 her ; she will think we have forgotten it, and 
 when papa and mamma are gone, I will come 
 and arrange everything." 
 
 " Oh dear, how nice ! " cried Crescenz, seat- 
 ing herself confidentially beside her friend, but 
 a moment after she sprang up, assumed a digni- 
 fied air, and walked towards the door. 
 
 " You don't mean to leave us, Cressy ? " ex- 
 claimed Madame Berger, surprised. 
 
 " I am going to tell mamma that you are here," 
 she replied, stiffly. 
 
 " Oh, my dear creature, she has heard from 
 Walburg long ago. She is engaged with the 
 children, or counting linen, or something of 
 that sort. Stay here like a love, and play pro- 
 priety." 
 
 " But I don't choose to play propriety," said 
 Crescenz, angrily, as she left the room. 
 
 Madame Berger looked amazed for a moment, 
 and then burst into a fit of laughter. " I do 
 believe the child is jealous ! " she exclaimed.
 
 fnitials. 
 
 " How ridiculous ! how amusing ! I wish it 
 were Hildegarde I would give what would I 
 not give to make her jealous for half an hour ! 
 It would be sublime ! Theodor could assist me 
 if he chose." 
 
 " You think she likes him ? " said Hamilton. 
 
 " He says not, but I can discover no other 
 person. Can you believe that she cares for no 
 one ? " 
 
 " She cares a great deal for her father," an- 
 swered Hamilton. 
 
 " Ah, bah a person of her violent temperament 
 must have zgrande passion before this time." 
 
 " I have not lately seen anything like violence," 
 said Hamilton. 
 
 " A certain proof that she is desirous of pleas- 
 ing some one." 
 
 " I should have no objection to be the person 
 she is desirous of pleasing," said Hamilton ; 
 " she is perfectly amiable with her father ; 
 should she bestow one of the looks intended 
 for him upon me, I confess I should be 
 
 " And has she really never tried to make you 
 say civil things to her ? " asked Madame Berger, 
 quickly. 
 
 " On the contrary, she has provoked me to say 
 very uncivil things sometimes." 
 
 " And so you have been obliged to amuse 
 yourself with poor simple Crescenz ? " 
 
 " Who," said Hamilton. " is the most innocent 
 being in the world a pretty child '
 
 JBall at tbe Aueeum Club. 
 
 " A pretty fool ! " cried Madame Berger, " but 
 let us talk of our masquerade you will go at all 
 events ? " 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " And dressed in black and masked ? " 
 
 " Agreed." 
 
 " You have no idea how amusing it is ! One 
 can say all sorts of impertinent things even to 
 the royal family when they are present. Masks 
 are allowed perfect impunity." 
 
 " But should you be discovered afterwards ? " 
 
 " I shall deny knowing anything about the 
 matter, of course." 
 
 Hamilton had not time to reply by word or 
 look, for at this moment supper was announced. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A BALL AT THE MUSEUM CLUB. 
 
 " T HOPE we shall have no visitors," said Cres- 
 * cenz the next day, after having examined 
 herself for some time attentively in the glass 
 which was between the windows in the drawing- 
 room. " I hope we shall have no visitors, for 
 these curl-papers are certainly not becoming. 
 If mamma had allowed, I should have passed 
 the day in my own room, that nobody might see 
 them. Don't you think me very ugly to-day ? " 
 she added, turning to Hamilton, who, as usual, 
 was close to the stove.
 
 152 Gbe Untttats. 
 
 "You are not ugly, but the curl-papers are," 
 he answered, looking at her over his book. 
 
 " But we shall look so well with long curls in 
 the evening," she said, half appealing to her 
 sister, who was standing at the window with 
 some intricate piece of work. " What a pity one 
 cannot have curls without curl-papers." 
 
 " They are dearly bought if you are obliged 
 to wear your hair twisted up in that manner all 
 day," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I thought Englishwomen very often had 
 long curls." 
 
 "So they have but they never appear in a 
 drawing-room with curl-papers." 
 
 " They certainly are very unbecoming," said 
 Crescenz, again inspecting herself in the glass. 
 " I have a great mind to arrange my braids 
 again. After all, my hair will perhaps fall out 
 of curl during the first waltz. You know, 
 Hildegarde, at the examinations I was obliged to 
 fasten up the curls with a comb ? " 
 
 " Yes, but I remember the curls became you 
 extremely " 
 
 " Hildegarde," whispered Crescenz, coming 
 close to her sister, " you know Mr. Hamilton 
 cannot go to the ball, and if he thinks the curl- 
 papers so very ugly " 
 
 " I should think Major Stultz's opinion of 
 more consequence to you," answered Hilde- 
 garde ; " and," she added loud enough to be 
 heard, " you know if Mr. Hamilton dislike so
 
 B JBall at tbe Museum Club. 153 
 
 much seeing curl-papers, he has only to avoid 
 looking at us for the remainder of the day." 
 
 Hamilton closed his book, looked out of the 
 window at the thickly-falling snow, and then 
 left the room. Crescenz immediately exclaimed, 
 " Oh, Hildegarde, you have offended him ! How 
 can you be so unkind ? " 
 
 " Is it unkind to tell him not to look at us for 
 a few hours ? " Hildegarde asked, laughing. 
 
 " You are so unnecessarily rude to him some- 
 times yesterday evening, for instance, you 
 scarcely answered him when he spoke to you." 
 
 " Because I was occupied with my father. I 
 hope you have no objection to my preferring his 
 conversation to Mr. Hamilton's ! " 
 
 " But you were only talking about the opera 
 to papa, who would have been very glad if you 
 had allowed him to hear what Mr. Hamilton was 
 telling Lina Berger about a picnic party on the 
 Thames. Lina says he is the most fascinating 
 young man she ever met, not even excepting 
 Theodor Biedermann ! " 
 
 " And Mr. Hamilton will tell you, if you ask 
 him, that Madame Berger is the most 'fascinating 
 young woman he ever met with, not even except- 
 ing Crescenz Rosenberg." 
 
 " Oh, dear ; I forgot to tell you that Major 
 Stultz was quite mistaken. Lina explained every- 
 thing before she left yesterday evening. Mr. 
 Hamilton only went to hear her play waltzes ! " 
 
 Hildegarde shook her head incredulously.
 
 154 tlbe flnitiats. 
 
 " You do not believe her ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Well, I do ; and I will manage to find out 
 from Mr. Hamilton the whole truth." 
 
 " Don't attempt anything of the kind, Cres- 
 cenz ; you will only make yourself ridiculous." 
 
 "We shall see," said Crescenz, nodding her 
 head as she left the room. 
 
 When she returned to the drawing-room her 
 hair was braided in the usual manner ; and she 
 rather unwillingly confessed that she had seen 
 Hamilton, who had said that he " thought braids 
 infinitely more becoming than curls for young 
 and pretty persons ! " 
 
 " I greatly fear Mr. Hamilton is beginning to 
 amuse himself again at your expense," observed 
 Hildegarde, with some irritation. 
 
 " He did not seem to be amusing himself ; he 
 spoke quite gravely, and papa, who was present, 
 agreed with him." 
 
 Hildegarde's hand rose to her head, and her 
 fingers impatiently contracted themselves round 
 the offending curl-papers. "If I had known 
 that papa thought so, I should never have curled 
 my hair, but now it is too late ; Mr. Hamilton 
 will think I have tried to please him, and " 
 
 " Oh, dear, no," cried Crescenz ; " he did not 
 seem in the least to think I had braided my hair 
 to please him. He was talking to papa about 
 religion and philosophy, and some acquaintances 
 of the name of Hegel and Schelling."
 
 H JBall at tbe dfcueeum Club. 155 
 
 Hildegarde smiled. " If they were talking of 
 Hegel and Schelling, I dare say he has forgotten 
 us and our curls. I could not possibly think of 
 sacrificing my ringlets to please him, and papa 
 I shall probably not see until evening." 
 
 Hamilton took her advice more literally than 
 she just then wished : he remained in his room 
 the rest of the day, and thus avoided seeing her 
 again. She felt that a few words spoken in a 
 moment of irritation had deprived her of all 
 chance of seeing him alone for a few minutes, in 
 order to induce him to avoid her cousin, and go 
 the ensuing week to the Z 's ; but she con- 
 soled herself by thinking that at least they were not 
 likely to meet during that evening, as Raimund 
 had not been invited to the ball at Court, and 
 was to accompany his betrothed to the Museum. 
 
 As soon as it was dusk, the sisters disappeared. 
 Madame Rosenberg in vain sent to request they 
 would come to supper. They were not hungry. 
 They could not eat. " Quite natural ! " observed 
 their father, helping himself to some salmi and 
 cold turkey. " Quite natural ! Who ever heard 
 of a girl eating before she went to her first ball ? 
 I suppose, however, they will soon be dressed ; 
 so I think, Babette, you might now put on your 
 own brown silk dress and pink turban ; it would 
 be a pity if they were to lose a dance ! Mr. 
 Hamilton has offered to leave us at the Museum, 
 on his way to the palace." 
 
 Madame Rosenberg poured out a glass of beer,
 
 tTbe Untttats. 
 
 drank it quickly, and left the room. A few 
 minutes afterwards, Hildegarde and her sister 
 entered, in all the charms of youth and white 
 muslin. " Is she not beautiful ? " exclaimed 
 Crescenz, for a moment forgetting herself in her 
 admiration of her sister. " Is she not beautiful ? 
 Ah, I knew you would admire curls," she added 
 as a sort of reply to Hamilton's look of most 
 genuine admiration. " Curls are prettier than 
 braids after all ! " She drew her hand, as she 
 spoke, over her smooth shining hair, and glanced 
 regretfully towards the looking-glass. 
 
 Hildegarde turned from Hamilton with a slightly 
 conscious blush. Never had he seen or imagined 
 anyone so lovely as she appeared to him at that 
 moment. The long waving ringlets of her rich 
 brown hair relieved the slightly severe.expression 
 of her almost too regular features, while her 
 beautifully-formed figure, seen to advantage in 
 her light ball-dress, attracted equally by its round- 
 ness and delicacy. Had Hamilton seen her for 
 the first time that evening, he would have been 
 captivated. When we, however, remember that 
 she had been for months the object of his first 
 love, that he had resided in the same house, and 
 had had opportunities of knowing and judging 
 her by no means commonplace ideas, as they had 
 studied together, and that he was at a time of 
 life when the feelings are most impetuous, we 
 may form some idea of the emotion which, for 
 some minutes, deprived him of the power of
 
 a 3Ball at tbe ASuseum Club. 157 
 
 utterance. Hildegarde was so perfectly inde- 
 pendent in thought and action ; she required so 
 little of that protection which her sex usually 
 seek, that had she not been eminently handsome, 
 she would probably have found more people dis- 
 posed to admire her character than love her per- 
 son. Men especially do not often bestow affec- 
 tion on such women ; but, when they do, it is 
 with a degree of passion which they seldom or 
 never feel for the more gentle or weaker of the 
 sex. And so irresistibly attracted by her beauty, 
 and perhaps hoping to find feelings as strong 
 as her mind, three men now loved her with 
 characteristic fervour ; her cousin, with an inten- 
 sity bordering on insanity ; Zedwitz with the 
 glowing steadiness of his disposition and years, 
 and Hamilton with all the ardour of extreme 
 youth. 
 
 " I thought Hildegarde would have worn one 
 of my bracelets this evening," said Crescenz. " I 
 offered her the choice of them all ! " 
 
 " That was very kind of you, Crescenz," said 
 her father, "but Hildegarde does not care for 
 ornaments of that kind." 
 
 " But look at that ugly little hair-bracelet which 
 she insists upon wearing," said Crescenz, laugh- 
 ing. " If she had bracelets of her own, she 
 would wear them, I am sure. Everyone must 
 like bracelets ! " 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg took Hildegarde's hand, and 
 raised her passive arm towards his eyes, in order
 
 1 58 tlbe initials. 
 
 to inspect the bracelet. " It is not ugly, nor ill 
 chosen either," he observed, smiling ; " a black 
 bracelet makes an arm look fairer still ; but I 
 own I did not think my treasure studied such 
 things ! " 
 
 Hildegarde, with a look of annoyance, hastily 
 unclasped the bracelet, and threw it into her 
 work-basket. 
 
 " Don't be offended, Hildegarde. Every woman 
 should endeavour to improve her appearance as 
 much as possible. Your arm is round and white, 
 and the bracelet pretty ; it ought, perhaps, to 
 have been a little broader, but the horse-hair was 
 scarce, it seems ! However, you can wear it 
 very creditably ; at a little distance, people will 
 think it the hair of some very dear friend ! " 
 
 Madame Rosenberg made her appearance at 
 this moment, in a state of ludicrous distress ; she 
 had tried to force her large hands into a pair of 
 small French gloves. One, from its elasticity, 
 had been drawn somewhat over the half of one 
 hand, leaving the other half and the wrist quite 
 bare ; but the other had burst asunder across 
 the palm, and she now held it towards her hus- 
 band, with a look of mock despair. 
 
 " Try another and a larger pair," he said, 
 laughing. 
 
 " I have not another pair in the house. You 
 know I never want white gloves, and I was 
 obliged to send to Schultz for these, after I 
 had begun to dress ! "
 
 B >16all at tbe Museum Club. 159 
 
 " Oh, I can mend it in a moment," cried Cres- 
 cenz, bringing a needle and thread. " Only keep 
 it on your hand it will never do if you pull it 
 off again." 
 
 Hamilton had in the meantime been playing 
 with the discarded bracelet ; Hildegarde at- 
 tempted to take it out of his hand, but he held it 
 nearer the light, observing in a low voice, " This 
 is not horse hair. It cannot be your father's or 
 your sister's, for they have brown hair ; nor your 
 cousin's ; nor " 
 
 " Give me my bracelet," said Hildegarde, im- 
 patiently. He held it towards her with both 
 hands, and a look of pretended alarm. She half 
 smiled, and extended her arm, while with a 
 degree of trepidation which he in vain endeav- 
 oured to overcome, he placed the tongue in the 
 serpent's head which formed the clasp. When 
 he looked up her head was averted, and she was 
 jesting with her father about her chance of find- 
 ing partners or being left sitting. 
 
 " Pray, keep one waltz or galop in reserve 
 for me," cried Hamilton. " I shall be at the 
 Museum between ten and eleven o'clock." 
 
 Hildegarde murmured a sort of assent, but the 
 expression of her countenance denoted anything 
 but satisfaction. She became grave and thought- 
 ful. It was impossible not to perceive the 
 change, and with ill-concealed mortification 
 Hamilton turned to her father : " Your daughter 
 does not know, perhaps, that I have learned to
 
 160 abe flnitials. 
 
 waltz since I came here. I am no longer a bad 
 dancer." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! I always thought you danced ex- 
 tremely well," said Crescenz. 
 
 " I may depend upon your keeping a waltz free 
 for me ; if Major Stultz will permit it." 
 
 " Oh, yes ; that is," said Crescenz, correcting 
 herself, " if you can remember your engagement 
 with me when Lina- Berger is present." 
 
 " Madame Berger has no influence whatever 
 upon my memory." 
 
 " No, but upon your heart." 
 
 " None whatever. She is very pretty, very 
 amusing, very flattering, everything you please 
 but lovable." 
 
 " Well, if she only heard you say that ! " began 
 Crescenz. 
 
 " The carriage has been at the door this long 
 time," cried Madame Rosenberg, tying a large 
 handkerchief over her ears and pink turban. 
 " Let us be off." 
 
 Crescenz touched her sister's hand, and whis- 
 pered : " You see, dear, I was right." 
 
 Hildegarde bent her head, but did not speak. 
 
 Hamilton heard, saw, but only partly under- 
 stood. Had Hildegarde been jealous ! 
 
 The ball at Court was not in the least less bril- 
 liant than any of the preceding, but Hamilton 
 was not disposed to admire the rooms, or the 
 fresco paintings, or the candelabra, or even his 
 own form in the long glass, placed so con-
 
 B JBall at tbe flbuseum Club. 161 
 
 veniently at the door of one of the reception- 
 rooms. Figures in blue and pink crape passed 
 and repassed him scarcely observed, so com- 
 pletely had a form in white, with a wreath of 
 roses in her hair, taken possession of his imagina- 
 tion. His abstraction attracted even the notice 
 of royalty, and it was with a deep blush that 
 Hamilton stammered some excuse when asked 
 why he did not dance as usual. 
 
 At ten o'clock he withdrew, bounded down the 
 stairs which he had thought so tiresome to 
 mount a couple of hours before, found his car- 
 riage waiting, and drove to the Museum. The 
 contrast was great, but he heeded it not ; Hilde- 
 garde was every thing to him. He glanced 
 quickly round the room, and immediately dis- 
 covered the object of his search walking com- 
 posedly towards the dancers with a tall officer in 
 the Guards ; he was about to leave the room 
 again in a fit of uncontrollable irritation, when he 
 remembered his engagement with Crescenz. The 
 moment she saw him, she spoke a few words 
 eagerly to Major Stultz, smiled, and then walked 
 a step or two towards him. " I knew you would 
 come," she said with evident pleasure, and 
 showing her little ball-book ; " see, you were 
 written for two dances, that I might be quite 
 sure of being disengaged." 
 
 " Thank you," said Hamilton ; " you are very 
 kind. I can remain but one hour, and as your 
 sister seems to have forgotten her engagement 
 
 VOL. II. II
 
 162 abe flnttials. 
 
 with me, perhaps you will give me the second 
 waltz also ? " 
 
 " Oh, I dare not ; Major Stultz will never con- 
 sent. I am sure I wish he would go home, he is 
 so sleepy already. But," she added after a 
 pause, " I am quite sure that Hildegarde will 
 dance with you." 
 
 In the course of the dance, Hildegarde and 
 her partner came close beside them. Hamilton 
 at first pretended not to observe it, but Crescenz 
 naturally spoke to her sister. 
 
 " Mr. Hamilton fancies you will not dance 
 with him, but I am sure he is mistaken ; he says 
 he cannot remain more than an hour, so you 
 must promise him the next waltz or galop, 
 whichever it may be." 
 
 "If he really wish it," said Hildegarde; "but 
 he looks so very seriously English to-night, that 
 if I were to propose dancing with him, I am sure 
 he will say no ! " 
 
 " Try me," said Hamilton ; " or rather write 
 my name in your book, that I may be sure you 
 are in earnest." 
 
 " You must not trust to my memory, for I have 
 neither ball-book nor tablets. I have no one," 
 she added, looking archly toward her sister, " I 
 have no one to supply me with ball-books and 
 bouquets," and she bent her head over her 
 sister's hand, which could scarcely clasp the 
 geraniums, heliotropes, and China roses with 
 which it was filled.
 
 a JSall at tbe /buseum Club. 163 
 
 A moment after, she had joined the dancers, 
 and Hamilton stood thoughtfully beside his 
 partner. 
 
 " Do you not admire my bouquet ? " she asked, 
 holding it coquettishly towards him. 
 
 " Exceedingly ; for the time of year it is 
 beautiful." 
 
 " Major Stultz waited at the door to give it to 
 me. It was an attention I never expected from 
 him." 
 
 "Why not?" asked Hamilton, absently. 
 
 " Oh, because he was so many years a soldier 
 and in the wars, and in Russia, and all that. I 
 thought it was only young a a persons with 
 whom one danced who gave bouquets." 
 
 " Very true," said Hamilton, laughing, " and it 
 is disgracefully negligent of young a persons 
 to forget such things sometimes." 
 
 " I assure you," stammered Crescenz, " I did 
 not mean I did not think " 
 
 " I know you did not," said Hamilton. 
 
 " He knows you never think, my dear," said 
 Madame Berger, who had overheard the last 
 words when taking the place behind them. 
 
 " She never thinks or says anything unkind," 
 said Hamilton, warmly. 
 
 Madame Berger looked up saucily, and then 
 turned to her partner, a gay student, to listen to 
 some nonsense about her long blonde ringlets. 
 
 " Lina is angry that you have not asked her to 
 dance," said Crescenz, as she returned to join
 
 164 Gbe IFnitiate. 
 
 her mother. " Suppose you were to waltz with 
 her next time ; I know Hildegarde will not be in 
 the least offended." 
 
 Hamilton shook his head. " I am not so much 
 afraid of giving offence as you are ; besides, you 
 may be mistaken." 
 
 " No," said Crescenz, " I am sure I am right, 
 for I remember her saying she would keep a 
 waltz for you, and you said you could not come 
 at all. Oh, I remember it, for I was so sorry 
 when you said so, that I did not care at all for 
 rhe ball, or my new dress, or " 
 
 Hamilton unconsciously pressed Crescenz's 
 hands, her heightened colour immediately repri- 
 manded him for his imprudence, and he turned 
 to Madame Rosenberg, and asked her how she 
 liked playing chaperone ? 
 
 " Better a great deal than I expected," she 
 answered, laughing ; and then lowering her 
 voice, she added, " our girls are certainly very 
 pretty ; you have no idea how civil all the men 
 are to me on their account. Franz is enjoying 
 a sort of triumph to-night, but the Major is not 
 quite satisfied ; he says the young officers have 
 been talking nonsense to Crescenz, for she has 
 been blushing every moment. Now, I have told 
 him a hundred times it is from the heat of the 
 room and the exertion of dancing. It would be 
 better if he would go down to the club-room and 
 smoke his pipe ; he cannot expect the child to 
 sit beside him all the evening as she does at
 
 B asall at tbc Museum Club. 165 
 
 home. She has very properly done her duty, 
 and already danced twice with him, and more he 
 cannot require. He has no sort of tact, the 
 Major. Fancy his wanting her to fix her wedding- 
 day just now, when she is thinking of anything 
 in the world but her marriage. I never knew 
 anything in the world so injudicious." 
 
 Poor Crescenz had been condemned to a place 
 between her mother and Major Stultz. Hilde- 
 garde had emancipated herself completely ; she 
 hung on her proud father's arm, walked about 
 the rooms, and talked unrestrainedly. Hamil- 
 ton had to seek her when the music again com- 
 menced ; she left her father directly, and walked 
 towards the dancing-room, but scarcely had she 
 entered it when Count Raimund approached, 
 exclaiming, " Where are you going, Hildegarde ? 
 do not forget that this galop is mine." 
 
 " No, Oscar, it was the second that I promised 
 you." 
 
 " That cannot be, Hildegarde, for I am en- 
 gaged to dance it with a Marie. I believe 
 I am quite certain you promised me this one." 
 
 " And I am quite sure, Oscar, that you are 
 mistaken. Quite sure ! " began Hildegarde, with 
 her usual decision of manner, but the angry ex- 
 pression of her cousin's countenance made her 
 hesitate. " Perhaps, however," she added, look- 
 ing from one to the other, " perhaps, as Mr. 
 Hamilton is an Englishman, and does not care 
 about dancing, he will be rather pleased than
 
 166 tTbe Initials. 
 
 otherwise in being released from what he proba- 
 bly considered a duty dance." 
 
 " By no means," said Hamilton, firmly holding 
 the hand which she endeavoured to withdraw, 
 " I am not so indifferent as you seem to imagine. 
 You have promised to dance with me, and I am 
 not disposed to release you from your engage- 
 ment." 
 
 " Nor I, either," said Count Raimund, while 
 the blood mounted to his temples, and was even 
 visible under the roots of his fair hair. 
 
 " You think, perhaps, I ought to feel flattered," 
 said Hildegarde, scornfully, " but I do not on 
 the contrary I think you both, I mean to say 
 Oscar extremely disagreeable. I shall not dance 
 with either of you," she added, seating herself on 
 a bench, and beginning to tap her foot impa- 
 tiently on the floor. The two young men placed 
 themselves on either side of her. 
 
 " I hope," she said, turning to Count Rai- 
 mund, " I hope you are satisfied, now that you 
 have deprived me of the pleasure of dancing a 
 galop, to which I have been looking forward 
 for the last half hour ? " 
 
 " My satisfaction depends entirely on who the 
 person may be with whom you anticipated so 
 much pleasure in dancing." 
 
 " You know perfectly well that I was not en- 
 gaged to you, and did not think of you." 
 
 Count Raimund played with the hilt of his 
 sword, which he had laid on the form beside him.
 
 a SSall at tbc Museum Club. 167 
 
 " Oscar," continued Hildegarde, after a pause, 
 in a low voice, " don't be so unjust, so tyrannical 
 as to deprive me of my galop. Choose some- 
 body else. See, there is Marie still disengaged 
 go quickly, before anyone else can " 
 
 " Thank you," said Raimund, interrupting 
 her ; " you are very kind, but I have no inclina- 
 tion whatever that way. Marie may be very 
 good for household purposes, but I must say I 
 rejoice in the idea that our marriage will free me 
 from these ball-room duties towards a person I 
 have scarcely learned to tolerate. In fact, I be- 
 lieve I detest her, so has she been forced upon 
 me ! " 
 
 " Oscar, Oscar take care ! Do not speak so 
 loud. What would people think of you, were 
 you to be heard ? Someone may tell Marie, 
 and make her repent her disinterested conduct 
 towards you she does not deserve to be made 
 unhappy, especially by you ! " 
 
 "What did you say, sir?" cried Raimund, 
 speaking angrily, across Hildegarde to Hamilton. 
 
 " I have not had time to say anything," he 
 replied, laughing. 
 
 "But you looked as if you agreed with my 
 cousin ? " 
 
 " My looks are expressive, it seems," said Ham- 
 ilton, coolly. 
 
 " Perhaps you intend to inform my betrothed 
 of what I have just now said ? " cried Raimund, 
 still more angrily.
 
 1fnitial0. 
 
 " My acquaintance with her is of too recent a 
 date to admit of my doing so." 
 
 " Do you mean deliberately to insult me ? " 
 asked Raimund, in a voice of suppressed rage. 
 
 "No, Oscar," cried Hildegarde, laying her 
 hand hastily on his arm. " It is you who are 
 endeavouring to commence a quarrel with Mr. 
 Hamilton. You feel that you are in the wrong, 
 and that you ought not to have made such a 
 remark in public of a person to whom you are to 
 be married in less than a week." 
 
 " You may say what you please to me, Hilde- 
 garde, but neither Mr. Hamilton nor anyone 
 else shall dare by word or look to imply " 
 
 Hamilton turned away with a smile of un- 
 equivocal contempt. 
 
 " What do you mean, sir ? " cried Raimund, 
 starting from his seat, and facing him while he 
 folded his arms. 
 
 " I mean that this is no place for such words 
 still less for such gestures," replied Hamilton, 
 glancing round him. The loudness of the music, 
 however, had prevented them from being heard. 
 
 " Oscar," cried Hildegarde, vehemently, " sit 
 down beside me. Listen to me you must listen 
 to me. You are altogether in the wrong you 
 are rude and irritating, and ought to be ashamed 
 of yourself. Do not try Mr. Hamilton's patience 
 further." 
 
 " I have no intention of doing so," said Rai- 
 mund, biting his lip, and frowning fearfully.
 
 B Ball at tbe /iRuseum Club. 169 
 
 Hildegarde looked anxiously, first on her 
 cousin and then at Hamilton, to whom she said 
 in a low voice : " I don't know which is most to 
 be feared, your coolness or Oscar's ungovern- 
 able temper ! But this I have determined, that 
 neither shall stir from this place until a recon- 
 ciliation has taken place. You, Oscar, are bound 
 to apologise for your unprovoked rudeness, 
 and " 
 
 " Ha, ha ! " laughed Raimund. " You are a 
 most excellent mediatrix, my charming cousin, 
 but believe me, explanations are better avoided. 
 See, we have already forgotten the whole affair." 
 
 Hildegarde looked uneasily towards Hamil- 
 ton, he appeared to be intently watching the 
 dancers as they flew past him. 
 
 " It is useless your trying to deceive me," she 
 began, once more turning to Raimund ; but he 
 immediately interrupted her by saying, " Pray, is 
 all this unnecessary anxiety on my account, or 
 on his ? " 
 
 " My anxiety is divided. Surely," she con- 
 tinued, almost in a whisper, " you will not be so 
 foolish as to commence a quarrel in this un- 
 . reasonable manner ? What will Marie and her 
 mother think, should they hear of it ? What 
 right had you to ask for an explanation of Mr. 
 Hamilton's looks ? You are seeking a quarrel, 
 and do you think by acting in this manner you 
 are likely to increase my regard for you ? Oh, 
 Oscar ! have you forgotten what you said about
 
 i?o tlbe Initials. 
 
 a double crime " The music played loudly, 
 
 and Hildegarde bent towards her cousin, and 
 continued to speak for some time. Raimund's 
 countenance cleared by degrees, he raised his 
 eyes to her face with an expression of undisguised 
 admiration and love, and then whispered an 
 answer, which made her blush and turn away. 
 
 "You know your influence with me is un- 
 bounded. On this condition I will do or say 
 whatever you please," he added, endeavouring 
 to catch her eye. 
 
 " It is ungenerous of you to take advantage of 
 my fears," said Hildegarde, rising. 
 
 Hamilton asked her if she wished to return to 
 her father ; she seemed scarcely to hear him, ap- 
 pearing lost in thought for some moments. She 
 again consulted the countenance of her two 
 companions, again became anxious, and finally 
 turning to Raimund, said, with some embar- 
 rassment, "After all, it is not worth talking so 
 much about I accept the condition perform 
 your promise." 
 
 " Time and place to be chosen by me ? " said 
 Raimund, loud and eagerly. 
 
 " Do not make any more conditions," cried 
 Hildegarde, impatiently, "but perform your 
 promise at once." 
 
 " This must be understood," said Raimund, 
 "or else " 
 
 Hamilton felt himself growing very angry ; he 
 turned to leave them, when Count Raimund
 
 SSall at tbe flbuseum Club. 
 
 called him back : " Mr. Hamilton, a moment, if 
 you please. Hildegarde has convinced me that 
 I have been altogether in the wrong just now. If 
 I have offended you, I am sorry for it ; I hope 
 you do not expect me to say more ! " 
 
 "I did not expect you to say so much," re- 
 plied Hamilton, coldly. 
 
 A sudden flush once more overspread Rai- 
 mund's face, an internal struggle seemed to take 
 place, but after a glance towards Hildegarde, he 
 said calmly, " If I did not feel that I had been 
 the aggressor, not even the offered bribe could 
 have induced me to apologise." 
 
 "Bribe offered!" exclaimed Hildegarde, 
 almost indignantly. 
 
 " No, not offered. Favour conceded, if you 
 like it better we will not dispute about words. 
 Mr. Hamilton, my cousin is free, and can dance 
 when she pleases." 
 
 " I imagine she could have done so before, had 
 she wished it," said Hamilton, haughtily. 
 
 Raimund walked away as if he had not heard 
 him, and buckled on his sword with an air of 
 perfect satisfaction. 
 
 Hamilton stood by Hildegarde as if he were 
 turned to stone. The words which had been so 
 mysteriously spoken seemed to have completely 
 petrified him. Hildegarde, too, stood immovable 
 for a minute, and then turned as if to leave him. 
 
 " Do you not wish to dance ? " asked Hamil- 
 ton, in a constrained voice.
 
 ffntttals. 
 
 " No I mean yes yes, of course," she re- 
 plied, moving mechanically towards the dancers. 
 
 Hamilton's feelings at this moment would be 
 difficult to define. As he put his arm round her 
 slight figure, intense hatred was perhaps, for the 
 instant, predominant he was in such a state of 
 angry excitement that he had gone quite round 
 the room before he perceived that he was 
 actually carrying Hildegarde, who was entreating 
 him to stop. 
 
 "Get me a glass of water," she said, moving 
 unsteadily towards the refreshment-room, and 
 sinking on a chair behind the door. She had 
 become deadly pale, and was evidently suffering, 
 but seemed determined to conquer the unusual 
 weakness which threatened to overcome her. 
 
 When Hamilton again stood by her, he no longer 
 felt angry ; bending towards her he whispered, 
 " If you repent any hasty promise which you may 
 have made to your cousin, I shall be happy to be 
 the bearer of any message or explanation." 
 
 " Repent ! " murmured Hildegarde, " no ; I 
 have promised, and I don't repent ; but you 
 you must not speak any more this evening to 
 Oscar ; he has apologised for his rudeness, and 
 I know you are too generous ever to refer to the 
 subject again." 
 
 " But he spoke of some bribe some favour," 
 began Hamilton. 
 
 "That is my affair, and not yours," replied 
 Hildegarde, rising as the dancers began to pour
 
 Dag of ffree&om. 173 
 
 into the room. " And now take me to my father. 
 After all," she added, forcing a smile, " I believe 
 I have wasted a great deal of genuine alarm on 
 a pair of very worthless young men." 
 
 " So it was not repentance about this promised 
 favour, but anxiety about us, which has nearly 
 caused you to faint ? " 
 
 " Just so my fears perhaps magnified the 
 danger but there was danger, more than you were 
 aware of. Avoid my cousin," she added, earnestly, 
 " he is reckless now, but I trust better times are 
 in store for him." Though still fearfully pale, 
 she walked steadily towards the end of the room 
 where her father and mother were standing. 
 
 Raimund saw Hamilton leaving the room a 
 few minutes afterwards, with hasty steps and a 
 disturbed countenance. He looked after him, 
 and observed, with a sarcastic smile, to an 
 acquaintance who was near him. " I have spoiled 
 that Englishman's supper ; he is not likely to 
 enjoy his/a/i^ de feis gras or champagne under 
 the orange-trees at Court to-night ! " 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A DAY OF FREEDOM. 
 
 OOME days passed over remarkably tranquilly. 
 ^ Crescenz's marriage was to take place in a 
 fortnight, and she and Hildegarde had promised 
 to be bridesmaids to Marie de Hoffmann the
 
 174 Gbe flnttials. 
 
 beginning of the ensuing week. Hildegarde 
 made no further effort to warn Hamilton about 
 her cousin ; perhaps she now deemed it un- 
 necessary, as the young men openly showed their 
 mutual antipathy, and avoided even the most 
 formal intercourse. 
 
 One fine afternoon, when Hamilton was about 
 to drive out in his sledge, he perceived Crescenz 
 hovering about him mysteriously. Major Stultz, 
 who was in the room, seemed to embarrass her, 
 but at length she murmured, in French, " I have 
 something to say to you." 
 
 " I have been aware of it for the last half hour, 
 and have remained here on purpose to hear it," 
 said Hamilton. 
 
 " You always forget that Mr. Hamilton speaks 
 German perfectly well, Crescenz," observed 
 Major Stultz. " I take it for granted you have 
 no secret from me ! " 
 
 " Oh, dear, no," said Crescenz, with a slight 
 laugh, " I always speak French when I am not 
 thinking of anything in particular. You know 
 for many years I never spoke any other lan- 
 guage " ; and while she spoke, she carelessly 
 upset her work-basket, the contents of which 
 rolled in all directions on the painted floor. 
 
 " Dear me ! How awkward I am ! " she ex- 
 claimed, half laughing, while Major Stultz, with 
 evident difficulty, began to pick up the dispersed 
 articles. M My scarlet wool is behind the sofa ; 
 Mr. Hamilton, will you be so kind "
 
 H 2>ag of ffreefcom. 175 
 
 Hamilton moved the sofa. There was no scarlet 
 wool, but a slip of paper dropped from Crescenz's 
 hand ; he immediately took possession of it, and 
 her eyes sparkled with pleasure. " Thank you, 
 thank you, I believe I have everything now. Oh, 
 by-the-by, Mr. Hamilton, if you have time, I wish 
 you would call on Lina Berger, and ask her why 
 she has not been here since the ball ? " 
 
 Hamilton hesitated. 
 
 " Tell her my wedding-day is fixed, and I want 
 to consult her about my veil. You will go to her, 
 I hope ? " 
 
 " If you wish it but " 
 
 11 No buts, I hate buts," said Crescenz, laugh- 
 ing, and then making an inexplicable grimace to 
 him apart. 
 
 When out of the room, he inspected the slip of 
 paper, on which was written in French : 
 
 "You have 'offended Lina Berger by not danc- 
 ing with her. Make up your quarrel as fast 
 as you can, or we shall lose all chance of 
 going to the masquerade." 
 
 " I had forgotten all about the masquerade," 
 thought Hamilton, "and must make my peace 
 directly with the little person. She shall drive 
 out with me this very day to arrange matters. 
 Fortunately, she has said at least half a dozen 
 times that she likes sledging I ought to have 
 taken the hint long ago " 
 
 What his excuses were is not recorded they 
 did not seem to interest him particularly, as only
 
 Cbe flnittals. 
 
 the result is known. Madame Berger drove out 
 in his sledge, the party was arranged, and the 
 next morning, at breakfast, a note was brought 
 to Madame Rosenberg, offering Dr. Berger's car- 
 riage and horses for the day of the masquerade. 
 
 " How good-natured of Lina to remember that 
 I wished to see my father and introduce the 
 Major to him," she exclaimed, handing the neatly- 
 written note to her husband ; " I would rather 
 it had been any other day than Monday, as you 
 know Mademoiselle de Hoffmann's marriage is 
 to take place on Tuesday, and it will be dis- 
 agreeable returning home so early the next day ; 
 however, that cannot be avoided." 
 
 " Easily enough, I should think," observed Mr. 
 Rosenberg, quietly ; " Mr. Hamilton has often 
 proposed lending us his horses and all days are 
 alike to him, I know." 
 
 Before Hamilton could answer, Madame 
 Rosenberg exclaimed, " His horses ? Not for 
 any consideration in the world ! Besides, his 
 sledge is only for two persons and a servant, and 
 I wish to take the boys and the Major with us." 
 
 " In that case, I think we had better take a job 
 carriage for a day and a half." 
 
 " No use in paying for what we can have for 
 nothing," said Madame Rosenberg ; " so if you 
 have no objection, I shall accept the offer." 
 
 " As you please," said her husband ; " A visit 
 to the iron- works is not exactly what I enjoy 
 most in the world."
 
 Dag of ffreeOom. 177 
 
 " Crescenz," said Madame Rosenberg, taking 
 no notice of this remark, "Crescenz, just put 
 on your bonnet, and slip over to old Madame 
 Lustig's ; ask her if she can take charge of you 
 and Hildegarde on Monday ; but she must spend 
 the whole day here, and promise to sleep in 
 the nursery." 
 
 Crescenz left the room, not without slightly 
 glancing towards Hamilton, and primly pressing 
 her lips together to repress a smile. 
 
 " I don't like Madame Lustig," said Hilde- 
 garde, abruptly. 
 
 " Why ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " Because she so evidently tries to please every- 
 body." 
 
 " Better than evidently trying to please no 
 one," said her mother, sharply. " However, 
 whether you like her or not, if she take charge 
 of you and Crescenz on Monday, I expect you 
 will do whatever she desires, and consider her as 
 in my place." 
 
 Hildegarde looked up as if about to remon- 
 strate, caught her father's eyes, and then bent 
 over her coffee-cup without speaking. 
 
 Madame Lustig made no difficulties and many 
 promises. She arrived the next morning, when 
 they were all breakfasting together, at an un- 
 usually early hour, listened patiently to Madame 
 Rosenberg's directions about locking the house- 
 door, and fastening the windows, and examining 
 the stoves, and then accompanied them to the 
 
 VOL. H. 12
 
 178 Gbe flntttals. 
 
 carriage with Hamilton, Hildegarde, and Cres- 
 cenz. Major Stultz seemed very much inclined 
 to remain behind, but Crescenz whispered rather 
 loudly, " that mamma had been so kind about 
 her trousseau, that he ought to visit grandpapa." 
 
 " What an artful little animal it is, after all ! " 
 
 thought Hamilton, " and how different from " 
 
 He looked towards Hildegarde, who, all uncon- 
 scious of their plans, after having twisted a black 
 silk scarf round her father's neck, stood rubbing 
 her hands, and slightly shivering in the cold 
 morning air. 
 
 "Adieu, adieu," was repeated in every possible 
 tone, while the carriage drove off. A moment 
 afterwards, Crescenz was scampering up the 
 stairs, dragging Madame Lustig after her ; and 
 when Hamilton and Hildegarde, who followed 
 more leisurely, reached the door, they were 
 obliged to remain there, for Crescenz, dancing a 
 galop with Madame Lustig, was now forcing 
 her backwards the whole length of the passage 
 at a tremendous pace, the jolly old woman keep- 
 ing the step, and springing with all her might for 
 fear of falling. Hamilton and Hildegarde looked 
 on, laughing. 
 
 At length they stopped for want of breath. 
 " Well what shall we do first ? " said Cres- 
 cenz, twisting up her hair, which had fallen on 
 her shoulders. 
 
 " Do ! " panted Madame Lustig, as she leaned 
 against the wall. " You have nearly killed me
 
 of jfree&om. 179 
 
 this is not the way to make me able to go to 
 the masqu - " 
 
 In a moment, Crescenz's apron was over her 
 head, and a new struggle began. 
 
 " I asked you what we should do first ? " cried 
 Crescenz, laughing, " suppose suppose we make 
 ice-cream ? Mamma has left me the keys, and 
 allowed . me to take whatever I like from the 
 store-room. You have a good receipt, I am sure ; 
 let us make the cream, and Mr. Hamilton and 
 Hildegarde can turn it round in the ice-pail ! " 
 
 " Shall we not first arrange with Walburg about 
 the dinner ? " 
 
 " Oh, dinner ! how very disagreeable to be 
 obliged to eat dinner ! Cannot we for once, just 
 by way of a joke," she said coaxingly, " have 
 something instead of dinner ? " 
 
 " Soup, boiled beef, and steam noodles are, 
 however, not to be despised ; and that is what 
 your mother ordered," said Madame Lustig ; 
 "besides, on Mr. Hamilton's account, you 
 ought - " 
 
 " Oh, I have no objection to dining on ice- 
 cream," said Hamilton, laughing. 
 
 "You see ! " said Crescenz, " Mr. Hamilton is 
 so so - You see he will do whatever we 
 wish. Let us make some cakes out of the 
 cookery-book, and then we can all be merry 
 together in the kitchen ! " 
 
 A sort of compromise was made. The soup 
 and boiled beef were allowed, but the ice-cream
 
 i8o Gbe flnitials. 
 
 and several kinds of cakes were to be forthwith 
 fabricated. Madame Lustig was, like most Ger- 
 mans in her station in life, an excellent cook ; 
 she was also a good-humoured, thoughtless per- 
 son, and soon became quite as unrestrained as 
 her young companions. Her cap and false curls 
 were laid aside, her sleeves tucked up, a capa- 
 cious white apron bound over her black silk 
 dress, and she was immediately employed in 
 beating up eggs and pounding sugar. Hamilton 
 amused himself singing aloud the cookery-book 
 in recitative, until, in the course of time, he was 
 duly established with Hildegarde near a window 
 in the corridor, a large bucket of ice between 
 them, in which was placed the pail containing 
 the cream. They turned it round alternately, 
 and Crescenz occasionally inspected the process, 
 dancing with delight as it began to freeze. 
 
 " Oh, dear ! how nice ! I hope it will not 
 melt before Lina Berger comes. Is this window 
 cool enough?" 
 
 " Cool ! " said Hildegarde, laughing ; " try it 
 for a few minutes, and you will say cold, I 
 think." 
 
 " Could you not spare Mr. Hamilton for a lit- 
 tle while, Hildegarde ? We want him to pound 
 sugar ; our arms positively ache, and Walburg is 
 not yet come back from market." 
 
 Hildegarde made no objection, and Hamilton 
 was conducted back to the kitchen, from whence, 
 immediately, repeated bursts of laughter issued.
 
 2>a of ffreeoom. 181 
 
 The arrival of Madame Berger seemed to in- 
 crease the noise ; she closed the kitchen-door, 
 but Hildegarde distinctly heard the words : 
 "Congratulate freedom for one day at least 
 make good use amusement Hildegarde 
 hush." A short whispering ensued, and at 
 length Madame Lustig made her appearance, 
 inspected the ice-cream, and proposed putting it 
 outside the window. " There is no use in your 
 tormenting yourself longer, my dear," she said, 
 smiling ; " we have something else to interest us ; 
 come, we must hold a consultation." 
 
 " About what ? " asked Hildegarde. 
 
 " About a masquerade ; were you ever at 
 one ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, at school we had one almost every 
 year ; I was always ordered to be a Greek or a 
 Circassian." 
 
 " Ah, that was children's play among our- 
 selves ; but I mean a real masquerade ! " 
 
 "You mean the public masquerades at the 
 theatre, perhaps ? " 
 
 " Just so ; should you like to go to one ? " 
 
 " To be sure I should, of all things ! " cried 
 Hildegarde, eagerly. " When is it ? " 
 
 " To-night." 
 
 Her countenance fell. " Oh, if we had only 
 known it sooner. If we had only been able to 
 ask papa ! " 
 
 " There ! I told you," cried Madame Berger, 
 coming out of the kitchen, followed by the others,
 
 " I knew she would make all sort of difficulties, 
 and spoil Crescenz's pleasure ! " 
 
 " I am sure," said Madame Lustig, " neither 
 your father or mother would have any objection ; 
 when I go with you, and Madame Berger, and 
 Mr. Hamilton." 
 
 " It is true mamma said I was to do whatever 
 
 you desired me " began Hildegarde, with 
 
 some hesitation. 
 
 " Oh, I will command your attendance, if that 
 will be any relief to your conscience," cried 
 Madame Lustig, with a loud laugh. 
 
 Hildegarde coloured deeply, and looked tow- 
 ards Hamilton ; he was eating almonds and rai- 
 sins from a plate, which Madame Berger held 
 towards him. " Let us talk about our masks, 
 and not about our consciences," cried the 
 latter. " I must go home to dinner, or the Doc- 
 tor will be impatient. We are to be black bats ; 
 black silk dresses ; black dominoes, with hanging 
 sleeves, and hoods ; masks half black, and a knot 
 of white ribbon under the chin, that we may 
 know each other. How many dominoes shall I 
 order ? " 
 
 " For us all, Lina, for us all ! " cried Crescenz, 
 eagerly. 
 
 "We may as well dress at your house," cried 
 Madame Lustig. It is not necessary that Wai- 
 burg should know anything about the matter. 
 The Doctor will have gone out before seven." 
 
 " Oh, yes, you may come at half-past six ; I
 
 2>ag of ffreebom. 183 
 
 must have time to dress Mr. Hamilton as well as 
 myself, you know ! Adieu, au revoir" 
 
 Immediately after dinner, Hildegarde put on 
 a black dress, and came to the drawing-room 
 where Hamilton was sitting, or rather reclining, 
 on the sofa, reading ; she leaned slightly over 
 him, and almost in a whisper asked if he were 
 disposed to give her advice, should she request it. 
 
 " I don't know," answered Hamilton, looking 
 up with a smile ; " I have been so long dismissed 
 from the office of preceptor, that I have quite 
 got out of the habit of giving advice." 
 
 " Forget that you have been preceptor, and 
 take the name of friend," said Hildegarde ; " we 
 shall get on better, I think." 
 
 " I like the proposition," cried Hamilton, 
 quickly rising from his recumbent position, " our 
 ages are suitable. Let us," he added, laughing, 
 " let us now swear an eternal friendship." 
 
 " Agreed," said Hildegarde, accepting his 
 offered hand. " And now, tell me, shall I go to 
 this masquerade or not ? " 
 
 " I thought you had already decided ! " 
 
 " Not quite. I wish very much to go, that is 
 the simple truth ; but I fear, that under the 
 name of obedience to Madame Lustig I am try- 
 ing to persuade myself, that I am following my 
 mother's injunctions ; while, in fact, I am only 
 seeking an excuse to do what I wish. Do you 
 understand me ? " 
 
 " Perfectly."
 
 184 Ube Initials. 
 
 "And you think, perhaps, I ought not to 
 go?" 
 
 " I think indeed I am sure, that I can give 
 you no advice on the subject. I am too much 
 interested in your decision, to be a 'righteous 
 judge.' " 
 
 " How are you interested ? " 
 
 " Simply thus ; if you do not go, the whole 
 party is spoiled for me." 
 
 Hildegarde was silent for more than a minute. 
 She did not disclaim ; she knew he had spoken 
 nis thoughts. " If," she said at length, " if I had 
 only known it in time to have asked my father's 
 leave, I really do think he would have had no 
 objection." 
 
 " If you think that, you may decide on going 
 with a clear conscience." 
 
 " Is this your opinion advice ? " 
 . " I give no advice," said Hamilton, laughing, 
 " I only wish you to go." 
 
 " Then I will go," said Hildegarde, thought- 
 fully ; "go notwithstanding a kind of misgiv- 
 ing which I cannot overcome, a sort of a warning 
 a presentiment " 
 
 " I should rather have suspected your sister 
 of having misgivings and warnings, than you," 
 said Hamilton ; " yet she seems to have none." 
 
 " She is governed by her wishes, and Lina 
 Berger ; besides, it is not likely that anything 
 unpleasant should occur to her ! " 
 
 " And to you ? " asked Hamilton, surprised.
 
 B Dag of jfreeoom. 185 
 
 " Not likely, either," said Hildegarde, gayly ; 
 " for thank goodness, Oscar must spend the 
 evening with Marie, when they are to be married 
 to-morrow." 
 
 Raimund had been but once at the Rosen- 
 berg's since the ball, and had played cards the 
 whole evening. Hamilton knew that she had 
 not since spoken to him. Yet, no sooner had 
 she pronounced her cousin's name, than all his 
 feelings changed ; he bit his lip, and walked to 
 the window. 
 
 " I wish " began Hildegarde, but she sud- 
 denly stopped, for she recognised Raimund's 
 voice speaking to her sister in the passage. 
 Hamilton strode across the room. 
 
 " Oh, stay ! stay, I entreat of you ! " she cried, 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Do you not wish to be alone with your 
 cousin ?" 
 
 " No, no, no that is," she added, hurriedly, 
 " yes perhaps it is better " 
 
 "As you please," said Hamilton, moving again 
 towards the door. 
 
 Hildegarde seemed greatly embarrassed. " If 
 you would only promise not to say anything to 
 make " 
 
 " I really do not understand you," cried Ham- 
 ilton, impatiently. 
 
 *' When he has been here for a minute or 
 two," she said, quickly, "go for Crescenz and 
 Madame Lustig, say they must come here must
 
 i86 ttbc Ifnttials. 
 
 remain " Her cousin entered the room 
 
 while she was speaking. 
 
 " I am sorry to interrupt you, my dear Hilde- 
 garde," he said, with a stiff and evidently forced 
 smile, " but I come to take leave " 
 
 " Take leave ! what do you mean ? " 
 
 " I am to be executed to-morrow, you know." 
 
 " Ah ! so " 
 
 " It is particularly kind of you and Crescenz 
 to put on mourning for me beforehand," he 
 continued, glancing gravely at her black dress. 
 
 " Oscar, how can you talk so ? " said Hilde- 
 garde, reproachfully ; " such jesting is, to-day, 
 particularly ill-timed." 
 
 " By heaven, I am not jesting. I never was 
 less disposed to mirth than at this moment," he 
 answered, falling heavily into a chair, and draw- 
 ing his handkerchief across his forehead. 
 
 " Have you been with Marie ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " And you will return to her ? " 
 
 " I suppose I must." 
 
 " Here Hamilton precipitately left the room to 
 summon Madame Lustig and Crescenz, but they 
 were much too busily engaged in the manufac- 
 ture of a complicated cake to follow him, so he 
 hurried back alone to the drawing-room, and 
 
 found Hildegarde in her cousin's arms. She 
 
 was not struggling, she did not even move as he 
 entered, while Raimund, not in the least discon- 
 certed by his presence, passionately kissed her
 
 B S>ag of tfreefcom. 187 
 
 two or three times. At length she suddenly and 
 vehemently pushed him from her, exclaiming, 
 " Go, I hate you ! " 
 
 " You hate me ! hate me, did you say ? Let 
 me hear that once more, Hildegarde," he said, 
 losing every trace of colour as he spoke. 
 
 " No, no I don't hate you but you have 
 acted very very ungenerously," said Hilde- 
 garde, with ill-suppressed emotion. 
 
 " I understand you ; but you will forgive me 
 this last offence, I hope ? " 
 
 " Yes, I forgive you, and will try to forgive 
 you all you have done to worry and alarm me 
 since our acquaintance began," said Hildegarde, 
 bitterly, " but this must indeed be the last offence." 
 
 " It will be, most certainly," said Raimund ; 
 and, taking both her hands, he looked at her long 
 and earnestly, and then left the room without in 
 any manner noticing Hamilton. 
 
 A long pause ensued. Hamilton's eyes were 
 riveted on his book, which he had again taken 
 up ; but he never turned over the leaf, nor did 
 he move when he became conscious that Hilde- 
 garde was standing beside him. 
 
 " That was the fulfilment of the promise made 
 at the ball on Saturday," she at length said, in a 
 very low voice. " I knew that his mind was in 
 a state of unusual irritation, and his claiming a 
 dance which I had not promised him proved his 
 wish to quarrel with you. My fears alone made 
 me consent."
 
 i88 tTbe flnitfate. 
 
 Hamilton turned round. A light seemed sud- 
 denly to break upon him ; and Hildegarde's 
 motives for many inexplicable actions became at 
 once apparent. His first impulse was to tell her 
 so, and to assure her of his increased admiration 
 and affection ; but he recollected, just at the 
 right moment, that all such explanations from 
 him were a waste of words and time ; that he 
 had told her so more than once himself. So, 
 after a short but violent internal struggle, he 
 said, with forced serenity, " My reliance on you 
 will henceforth be unbounded." 
 
 She seemed perfectly satisfied with this answer. 
 Notwithstanding its laconicism, she fully under- 
 stood the extent of confidence which would in 
 future be placed in her, and she left the room 
 with a light heart. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 THE MASQUERADE. 
 
 muffled figures quitted the Rosenbergs' 
 apartments about six o'clock in the evening, 
 and not long after, a light figure bounded up the 
 stairs, and knocked with closed hand on the 
 door. Walburg cautiously looked through the 
 grated aperture ; but on recognising Count Rai- 
 mund, she immediately opened it. 
 
 " Where are your ladies gone ? I saw them 
 leaving the house a few minutes ago.
 
 /RasqueraDe. 189 
 
 " They are gone to spend the evening with 
 Madame Berger, I believe." 
 
 " Did you hear them say anything about going 
 to the masquerade ? " 
 
 " No ; but Miss Crescenz did nothing but run 
 about and whisper the last half hour, and Mad- 
 ame Lustig took the house-keys with her, and 
 said I might go to bed if they were not home 
 before ten o'clock. I am almost sure they intend 
 to go to the masquerade ; and Miss Crescenz 
 might have trusted me, as I should never have 
 said anything about it." 
 
 " Perhaps you are mistaken," said Raimund, 
 absently. "At all events, it is better to say 
 nothing about it to Madame Rosenberg," and he 
 slowly descended the stairs, and walked towards 
 Dr. Berger's house, remaining in the street near 
 it until he saw the five black masked figures 
 enter a carriage. Though all studiously dressed 
 alike, he easily recognised Madame Berger's 
 small, and Madame Lustig's stout figure, while 
 Hildegarde and Crescenz were sufficiently above 
 the usual height to make the group remarkable. 
 
 It was early when they entered the theatre, 
 but the house was already crowded, the tiers of 
 boxes were filled with spectators, who, later in 
 the evening, joined the masks in the large ball- 
 room formed by the junction of the pit and 
 stage. Crescenz became alarmed when sur- 
 rounded by a number of speaking masks, and 
 clung to Hamilton's arm. Madame Berger and
 
 Unitials. 
 
 Madame Lustig, on the contrary, laughed and 
 talked with a freedom which rather shocked 
 Hamilton. Hildegarde at first answered gayly 
 all who addressed her ; for she felt that she was 
 perfectly unknown ; but after some time she 
 perceived that two masks had joined their party, 
 and seemed determined to remain with them. 
 A slight young Turk had attached himself to 
 Madame Berger, while a mysterious black dom- 
 ino followed her like a shadow. 
 
 " How much pleasanter it must be to look on 
 from above!" she observed, at length; "one 
 has all the amusement without the press and 
 anxiety of the crowd." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! I have got quite used to it now," 
 said Crescenz, " and I am not at all afraid." 
 
 " If there are places in the boxes to be had," 
 said Hamilton, "and you are willing to leave 
 this turmoil, I am quite sure I can procure them 
 for you." 
 
 "Oh, thank you, let us ask Madame Lustig." 
 
 But Madame Lustig protested against the 
 plan. She could not allow them to leave her 
 it would be quite improper if they were to be 
 seen alone with Mr. Hamilton indeed, she 
 would rather they were not seen at all, and she 
 positively could not leave Madame Berger with 
 that troublesome Turk, not having the least idea 
 who he might be ! 
 
 " There is no use in asking Lina," said Cres- 
 cenz to Hamilton, who had moved towards
 
 191 
 
 Madame Berger. And, indeed, all his argu- 
 ments proved vain. " People should not go to 
 masquerades who did not know how to enjoy 
 themselves ! She had no idea of coming to the 
 theatre to mope away the evening in a box she 
 could do that four times every week ; besides, 
 the presence of Mr. Hamilton was necessary for 
 propriety's sake, and she could not, and would 
 not dispense with his attendance." All this was 
 poured forth with a volubility, in French, that 
 attracted the attention of the by-standers. " No, 
 the gay little devil of a masque must not think 
 of going, nor her corpulent friend either ! " and 
 they were again drawn on with the crowd : 
 Hamilton followed with the sisters, who now 
 ceased altogether to speak. Crescenz had also 
 become aware that they were followed by a 
 black, taciturn figure, which, as she whispered 
 to Hamilton, put her in mind of the Inquisition, 
 and all sorts of horrors. 
 
 " But," said Hildegarde, who had heard her 
 remark, " we are also quite black, and probably 
 make the same disagreeable impression on other 
 people." 
 
 " He seems quite unknown ! I have not 
 seen him speak to any human being," said Cres- 
 cenz. 
 
 " Neither have we, for the last half hour," an- 
 swered her sister. 
 
 " Oh, my dear, if you have no objection to hav- 
 ing him at your elbow all the evening, I have
 
 Unitials. 
 
 nothing more to say," cried Crescenz ; " that is 
 quite a matter of taste." 
 
 " Is he annoying you in any way ? " asked 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " Not in the least," answered Hildegarde. " The 
 crowd is so great that he could not easily leave 
 us, even if he wished it." 
 
 In the meantime, Madame Berger and Mad- 
 ame Lustig, encouraged by the masks around 
 them, had begun to follow the unmasked groups 
 who had descended from the boxes. They knew 
 the private histories of most persons, and were so 
 unmerciful in their remarks so mischievous in 
 the distribution of their bon-bons and devices, 
 that they at length found it expedient to plan a 
 retreat, which was no longer easy, as they were 
 followed by several persons who wished to find 
 out who they were. A dance which was to be 
 performed by the corps de ballet, in costume, 
 seemed to favour them. They had only time to 
 whisper to each other, " Home, as fast as possi- 
 ble, by the front door of the theatre," when they 
 were pushed about and separated in all direc- 
 tions. Several coaches were in attendance, Ham- 
 ilton immediately procured one, and they were 
 soon in it laughing merrily over their adventures. 
 
 " How well we all managed to come together, 
 after all !" cried Madame Berger ; " I really had 
 begun to fear we should not get rid of my Turk 
 who could he have been !" 
 
 " I don't know," said Madame Lustig, yawning,
 
 Gbe dfcasqueraDe. 193 
 
 " but I am glad that we five are safely together 
 again, and not running about looking for each 
 other, which might easily have happened." 
 
 " It often does happen," said Madame Berger, 
 counting her companions, " one, two, three, four, 
 five - There was a black familiar of the Inqui- 
 sition following Hildegarde all night ; I really 
 was afraid he might have been among us." 
 
 To her house, according to agreement, they 
 all repaired to change their dresses. Hamilton 
 assisted them to descend from the carriage ; the 
 last person sprang unaided to the ground, threw 
 the black domino back, with a quick wave of the 
 hand, and discovered the figure of the Turk. 
 " Good-night, Madame Berger," he cried in a 
 feigned voice, " good-night good-night," and 
 with a gay laugh he darted down the street. 
 
 " Was there ever anything so provoking ! " ex- 
 claimed Madame Berger, in a voice denoting 
 great annoyance. " What have I said to him to- 
 night ? or rather, what have I not said to him ? 
 How vexatious he must have borrowed a dom- 
 ino from a friend in order to get among us !" 
 
 " But," cried Madame Lustig, in a voice of 
 alarm, " one of us must have been left behind." 
 
 " It must be Crescenz," cried Hamilton. " I 
 will return to the theatre directly for her." 
 
 " It must be Hildegarde," cried Crescenz, who 
 stood beside him. 
 
 Without uttering a word, he sprang into the 
 carriage, and the coachman drove off. His 
 
 VOL. II. 13
 
 194 Gbe flntttals. 
 
 anxiety was indescribable ; in the crowd he had 
 felt the absolute necessity of releasing the arm of 
 one of the sisters, and deceived by the extreme 
 likeness in their figures, had almost forcibly re- 
 tained Crescenz, who chanced to be at the mo- 
 ment followed by the silent mask, and whom he 
 consequently mistook for her sister. 
 
 At the theatre he dismissed the coachman, and 
 began making inquiries. " A black domino alone, 
 separated from a party of friends ? " Numbers of 
 black dominoes had been seen many had been 
 separated from their friends ! was the usual an- 
 swer. At length, a footman who had been loung- 
 ing at a distance, observed, that about half an 
 hour before, a black domino a lady, had been 
 stunned by a blow from the pole of a carriage, 
 and had been carried off by another black dom- 
 ino. 
 
 "That may have been Hildegarde !" cried 
 Hamilton, in a state of fearful anxiety. 
 
 " I think that was the name he called her," 
 said the man, preparing to walk away. 
 
 " He ! Who is he ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " I don't know he said he lived close by, and 
 that he was a near relation." 
 
 " Raimund !" almost groaned Hamilton, as he 
 rushed out of the theatre towards the lodgings, 
 which he knew were in one of the adjoining 
 streets. 
 
 The door at one side of the entrance-gate was 
 slightly ajar, it had probably been left so by some
 
 195 
 
 servants who had stolen off to the masquerade, 
 and did not wish to announce their return by 
 ringing the bell. Raimund's rooms were on the 
 ground floor, a couple of steps led to them. 
 Hamilton ascended the door was open he en- 
 tered a narrow passage, and stood opposite the 
 entrance to one of the chambers, knocked first 
 gently, then loudly ; shook the door ; no sound 
 reached him ; at length he moved towards an- 
 other door and called out, " Hildegarde, for 
 heaven's sake, if you are here, answer me !" He 
 thought now he heard some one moving in the 
 room. 
 
 " Let me in open the door," he cried, pushing 
 with all his strength against it. 
 
 " Wait a moment," said a voice which he with 
 difficulty recognised as Hildegarde's, " wait I 
 must take the key from " 
 
 " Heaven and earth, Hildegarde ! How can 
 you be so calm, when you know how anxious we 
 must be about you ! Are you alone ? " 
 
 " No yes," she answered, quite close to the 
 door. 
 
 " Count Raimund, you have no right to make 
 a prisoner of your cousin. Open the door 
 directly," cried Hamilton, shaking it until the 
 hinges rattled. 
 
 He heard at length the key placed, with a 
 trembling hand, in the lock it turned and Hil- 
 degarde stood before him. The hood of her 
 capuchin was thrown back, and her features,
 
 196 Cbe flnitials. 
 
 deadly pale and rigid in an expression of horror, 
 met his view. She pointed silently towards a 
 figure lying on the ground, which, when Hamil- 
 ton approached, he found to be the corpse of 
 her cousin ! He must have shot himself through 
 the mouth, for the upper part of his head, hair, 
 and brain were scattered in frightful bloody 
 masses around. A more hideous object could 
 hardly be imagined ; he turned away, and seiz- 
 ing Hildegarde's hand, drew her out of the room, 
 while he whispered, " What a dreadful scene for 
 you to have witnessed ! " 
 
 Scarcely were they in the street when, putting 
 her hand to her head, she exclaimed, " My gloves 
 mask handkerchief, are in his room is it of 
 any consequence ? " 
 
 " Of the greatest," cried Hamilton. " If your 
 name be on the handkerchief, it may lead to 
 most unpleasant inquiries. Wait here. I must 
 return to the room." 
 
 As he entered the room for the second time 
 he observed an appearance of confusion in it 
 which, in his haste and anxiety about Hildegarde, 
 had before escaped his observation. Her gloves 
 and handkerchief he found near the stove, and 
 not far from them, to his great surprise, a dagger ! 
 On the table, beside the small shaded lamp, stood 
 a wine bottle and tumblers, writing materials, and 
 several letters were heaped together ; and, on 
 glancing towards them, he found one addressed 
 to Hildegarde, which he immediately put in his
 
 197 
 
 pocket, and then prepared to leave ; but, to his 
 dismay, he heard the sound of approaching 
 voices, and at once his unpleasant, perhaps dan- 
 gerous, situation occurred to him. His known 
 enmity to Raimund made it absolutely necessary 
 for him to endeavour to leave the house without 
 being recognised, and, having tied on Hilde- 
 garde's mask, he took refuge in a small wood- 
 room, ready to escape the first opportunity that 
 should offer. The persons whose voices he had 
 heard were servants ; one of them, a French 
 girl, was speaking while he gained his hiding- 
 place, and he heard her say, " The old lady 
 desired me to call her son, I would not go into 
 his room for all the world at this time of night." 
 
 " What does she want with him ? " 
 
 '* Oh, she says she heard the report of a gun 
 or pistol a short time ago, and is alarmed. She 
 asked me if I had not heard it too ? " 
 
 " And did you hear it ? " 
 
 " How could I when I was not in the house ? 
 The best thing I can do is to say that Count 
 Oscar is not yet returned home. I am afraid she 
 won't believe me, as he never remains late at 
 those Hoffmanns'." 
 
 " But you may tell her that I saw him going to 
 the masquerade at nine o'clock in a black domino. 
 We can knock at the door, and if we get no 
 answer, he is not there." 
 
 " And if he should answer ? " 
 
 " Why, then, we can speak to him together ' "
 
 tTbe Ifnitfate. 
 
 While they knocked at the door, Hamilton 
 glided out ; but not, as he had hoped, unseen, 
 for they turned and ran after him into the street, 
 calling out, " Count Oscar ! Count Oscar ! 
 Madame la Comptesse wishes to speak to you." 
 
 Hamilton shook his hand impatiently towards 
 them, which made them desist, and then breath- 
 lessly joined Hildegarde, who was standing 
 motionless on the spot where he had left her. 
 
 " I ought not to have allowed you to return," 
 she said, clasping her hands convulsively round 
 his arm, "it was thoughtless selfish of me. 
 Had you been seen ! " 
 
 " I have been seen, but not recognised," said 
 Hamilton ; " I put on your mask, and some ser- 
 vants mistook me for Count Raimund." 
 
 " Can that lead to a discovery ? " asked Hilde- 
 garde, stopping in the middle of the cold, cheer- 
 less street. 
 
 " On the contrary, I rather think it will prevent 
 any discovery being made until to-morrow morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " His wedding-day ! " said Hildegarde, with a 
 stifled groan. " Oh, what will Marie de Hoffmann 
 think of him ? " 
 
 " She will perhaps guess the truth," said Ham- 
 ilton. " I believe this marriage was the im- 
 mediate cause of the rash act." 
 
 "Perhaps I am also to blame," said Hilde- 
 garde, in a scarcely audible voice. 
 
 " It may be ; but most innocently, I am sure.
 
 199 
 
 It was not your fault that your cousin loved you 
 so madly." 
 
 " I I did not exactly mean that," said Hil- 
 degarde, with a shudder. 
 
 " Then, what did you mean ? Tell me all that 
 occurred. That is," added Hamilton, for the 
 first time since he had joined her recurring to 
 his former fears, "that is, if you can." 
 
 " I can, and will, though the recollection is 
 most painful," said Hildegarde, in an agitated 
 manner ; and, after a moment's pause, she began : 
 " Having been separated from you all, I naturally 
 endeavoured to reach the front door of the 
 theatre, where we had agreed to assemble as soon 
 as possible ; always, to my great annoyance, fol- 
 lowed by the black domino, who, in the end, 
 proved to be Oscar. Had I known it sooner, it 
 would have saved me a world of horrors. I was 
 excessively alarmed, as you may imagine, and, 
 forgetting my character as mask, inquired, in my 
 natural voice, of everyone I met if they had seen 
 four black dominoes together ? Everyone had 
 seen dominoes such as I had described ; and 
 after hearing that some had left in carriages and 
 some on foot, I at length determined to walk 
 home alone. Taking advantage of the confusion 
 caused by several parties endeavouring to drive 
 off together, and hoping by that means to escape 
 from the domino who had become an object of 
 terror to me like a thing in a dream I ran 
 at full speed out of the theatre. In order to
 
 200 Gbe ITnitfals. 
 
 reach the quieter streets, I unfortunately turned 
 towards the advancing line of carriages ; the 
 crowd was enormous, and I was buffeted about in 
 all directions, until at length the pole of a car- 
 riage threw me down and completely stunned 
 me." 
 
 " So it was you ! And were you hurt ? " 
 asked Hamilton, anxiously, and stopping to look 
 at his companion. Strange to say, he had, until 
 that moment, forgotten what he had heard at the 
 theatre ! 
 
 " No, not much ; my shoulder is bruised, I 
 believe, but my head fell on the ground, and I 
 was insensible for some minutes. Some one, 
 probably Oscar, must have seized the horses' 
 heads and forced them backwards. When I 
 recovered, I felt myself supported by him, and 
 recognised his voice immediately. There was 
 a terrible stamping of horses, and noise, and 
 swearing about us, and I made a violent effort 
 to walk. With Oscar's assistance, I reached the 
 next street ; he proposed my going into his 
 lodgings for a few minutes until I felt stronger, 
 which I at first refused, but becoming so faint 
 when we were passing his house that I could 
 scarcely stand, I thought it better to go willingly 
 than perhaps be carried there in a state of in- 
 sensibility. A lamp was burning in the room 
 when we entered, and wine was on the table ; 
 he poured me out a glass without speaking, 
 which I immediately drank, and then sat down
 
 201 
 
 on the sofa to rest. In the meantime, he walked 
 silently up and down the room, and then returned 
 to the table, where he quickly swallowed several 
 tumblers of wine. Alarmed by his manner, I 
 immediately stood up, and declared that I was 
 quite able to return home. If he were not dis- 
 posed to accompany me, I would go alone. His 
 answer was locking the door and placing the key 
 in his pocket." 
 
 " And you ? " asked Hamilton, quickly, " what 
 did you do ? " 
 
 " I cannot describe the undefined terror which 
 this proceeding caused me ; but, on seeing the 
 dagger, with which he had once so frightened 
 me, lying on the table, I suddenly seized it and 
 retreated towards the stove. He asked me what 
 I meant ; but I only answered by repeating the 
 the words, ' Open the door let me go let me 
 go.' He, however, then informed me that he 
 had no intention of doing either the one or the 
 other ; he was determined for once that I should 
 hear him, and answer him ; and he ordered me 
 peremptorily to give him the dagger. I, of 
 course, refused, and and - " 
 
 " Well," said Hamilton, breathlessly. 
 
 " A violent struggle ensued ; he wrested it 
 forcibly out of my hand, and, I believe, in trying 
 not to hurt me, was wounded himself, for I saw 
 blood trickling down the blade as he held it 
 triumphantly up in the air. In springing to 
 the other side of the stove I found a bell-rope.
 
 Unftiats. 
 
 Perhaps I wrong Oscar, but I believe the fear 
 of that bell alone preserved me from further 
 insult." 
 
 " He must have been perfectly desperate," 
 observed Hamilton, taking a long breath. 
 
 " He appeared so to me," continued Hilcle- 
 garde, shuddering. " I saw him change colour 
 as I grasped the rope ; but, with wonderful cool- 
 ness, he advised me to refrain from summoning 
 witnesses to my being in his room at such an 
 hour of the night ; that I had entered willingly, 
 and no human being would believe rny assertion 
 of innocence, as unfortunately his reputation was 
 such that mine would be lost should I be seen 
 and recognised. Though trembling with anger, 
 I perceived the justice of his remark, and care- 
 fully avoided ringing, though I held the cord 
 tighter than ever. He came nearer and nearer, 
 and talked long about his love, and hatred of 
 you. I was too much agitated to understand 
 much of what he said ; and I believe he per- 
 ceived it at last, for he threw himself at my feet 
 and declared he would die there. I pushed 
 back his hands with disgust, and told him that 
 he need not hope again to terrify me I knew 
 he had no thought of dying, but I once more re- 
 quested him to open the door and give me my 
 liberty. He started up frantically, and taking a 
 small pistol from the table, again approached me. 
 I asked him if he intended to murder me. He 
 looked capable of that or anything else at the
 
 tTbe /toasquerafce. 203 
 
 moment, and when he pointed it towards his own 
 head, I " Hildegarde paused, and covered her 
 face with her hands. Hamilton did not speak, 
 and she again continued. " I did not indeed, 
 I did not for a moment think him serious, he 
 was such a consummate actor ! I had seen him 
 in less than half an hour change from calm to 
 furious so often, that I thought this was only a 
 new effort to work upon my feelings ; I never 
 could had I dreamed of the consequences at 
 all events, I shall never, never be able to forgive 
 myself ! " 
 
 " You have not told me what you did," said 
 Hamilton, in a low voice. 
 
 " I laughed and no sooner had he heard the 
 horrid mocking sound of my forced laughter, 
 than he pulled the trigger, and fell, so horribly 
 mangled, to the ground ! " She leaned against 
 the corner of a house, and gasped for breath. 
 " Do you think," she asked, at length, " do you 
 think that I was the immediate cause of his 
 death ? " 
 
 " No," said Hamilton. " I can give you nearly 
 the assurance that he had intended to commit 
 suicide this very night perhaps his table was 
 covered with letters, and one, addressed to you, 
 I brought away with me." 
 
 " Now, heaven be praised that this sin is not 
 on my soul ! " she cried, fervently, and then 
 added, " I have nothing more to tell you : I don't 
 know how the time passed until you came it
 
 204 tTbe ITnitials. 
 
 appeared very long, but I never thought of going 
 away. You will understand why I was so dila- 
 tory in opening the door, when you recollect that 
 the key was in the pocket of his waistcoat." 
 
 "And now," said Hamilton, hurrying towards 
 Madame Berger's house, "let me recommend 
 secrecy. I do not think anyone will imagine 
 that we know of this melancholy affair. Should 
 we speak of it, we might be suspected of know- 
 ing more than we may be disposed to relate." 
 
 "I quite agree with you," said Hildegarde, 
 " and have not the slightest wish to speak of it to 
 anyone, not even to my father, for, never having 
 spoken to him about Oscar, my confidence, 
 coming too late, might offend him, as it did 
 about Count Zedwitz." 
 
 " You will have to make a great effort, and 
 conceal every appearance of agitation from your 
 sister and Madame Lustig," said Hamilton. " I 
 think we had better avoid the proposed supper 
 at Madame Berger's. Give me your capuchin, 
 and I will bring you your bonnet and cloak." 
 
 Hildegarde seated herself on the stairs, and 
 leaned her face on her hands. 
 
 Hamilton's appearance without her caused 
 instantaneous and great alarm ; but when he said 
 she was waiting for them on the stairs, they 
 became almost angry. 
 
 " So she won't come to supper ! " cried Ma- 
 dame Berger. " Just like her, an eternal spoil- 
 sport."
 
 tlbe /Hbasquerafce. 205 
 
 " I fear she has caught cold," said Hamilton, 
 looking round for the cloak ; " you forget how 
 long she has been in the streets in her light 
 dress." 
 
 " But," said Madame Lustig, " she must say 
 she caught cold making the ice-cream at the 
 passage-window. I shall never have courage to 
 confess that we have been at this masquerade, 
 and that she has been running about the streets at 
 this hour of night. Was she far from the theatre 
 when you met her ? " 
 
 " I found her in - Street," replied Hamil- 
 ton, evasively, and beginning to heap up cloaks 
 and boas on his arm. 
 
 " Not so fast, if you please," cried Madame 
 Lustig. " Give me my cloak I have no fancy 
 for catching cold." 
 
 " This is too provoking," exclaimed Madame 
 Berger ; " I thought we should have had such a 
 merry supper ; the Doctor in bed, and every- 
 thing so nice ! Take a glass of wine, at least, 
 before you go, Mr. Hamilton." 
 
 He quickly drank the wine, and then ran 
 down-stairs. Hildegarde stood up, and allowed 
 him to put the cloak on her shoulders, fasten it, 
 throw her boa round her throat, and even place 
 her bonnet on her head ; she merely asked : 
 " Are they coming ? " 
 
 " Hildegarde," cried Madame Berger, who ac- 
 companied the others with a candle in her hand, 
 " I take it very ill of you to spoil my supper in
 
 206 Gbe IFnitials. 
 
 this manner ; you might have come up, if only 
 for half an hour." 
 
 " You have caught cold you are ill," whispered 
 Hamilton, in English. 
 
 " I am sorry to spoil your supper-party, Lina, 
 but I am really ill, and must go home," said 
 Hildegarde, in so constrained and husky a voice 
 that Madame Lustig, mistaking it for hoarseness, 
 hurried down the stairs, exclaiming : " Good 
 gracious, the child can hardly speak ! What 
 will her father say to me." 
 
 About an hour after, while Hamilton was still 
 walking uneasily up and down his room, he heard 
 some one knock at the door. On opening it he 
 was scarcely surprised to see Hildegarde. No 
 trace of colour had returned to her face, but her 
 features had regained their usual calm, statue- 
 like expression. 
 
 "I knew I should still find you in this room," 
 she said, with a faint smile. " You may give me 
 my letter ; I can read it now." 
 
 It was on the table, and Hamilton pushed it 
 towards her. She sat down drew a candle near 
 her, and, shading her eyes with one hand, held 
 the letter steadily with the other. When she had 
 finished reading it, she gave it to Hamilton, say- 
 ing : " That is a wild piece of composition ; how 
 fortunate that it fell into your hands ! Had it 
 been sent to me, I should have been placed in a 
 most unpleasant position. My father, my mother, 
 would have read it ; I must have explained, and 
 Marie de Hoffmann would perhaps have heard of
 
 207 
 
 Oscar's dislike to her, and have blamed me more 
 than I deserve." 
 
 Hamilton read the letter, and when she took it 
 out of his hand, she tore it to pieces. " I wish 
 I could burn these remnants," she said, crushing 
 them together in her hand. 
 
 " Nothing more easy," said Hamilton, pointing 
 towards the stove. They walked to it, and 
 deliberately burned the pieces, one by one ; the 
 incoherent sentences becoming once more legible 
 in a charred state before they crumbled into ashes. 
 
 " Thank you," said Hildegarde, turning away ; 
 " and now, good-night ! " 
 
 " Will you not take a candle ; or, shall I light 
 you ! " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " Neither : I do not wish to wake Walburg." 
 
 As Hamilton held the door open, he recollected 
 vividly the last time she had been in his room at 
 night. She was too much preoccupied to think 
 of it ; but, stopping suddenly, she turned to him, 
 and said : " Do you remember my warning, my 
 presentiment of evil ? " 
 
 "Perfectly," he answered ; "but I think the 
 idea was caused by your imagining you were 
 about to do something which your father perhaps 
 might not quite approve." 
 
 "You account for everything rationally, and 
 will of course not believe me when I tell you 
 that I knew and felt beforehand that Oscar 
 would come to our house yesterday, and act 
 precisely as he did." 
 
 " I do believe you ; but it was your natural
 
 Initials. 
 
 understanding which made you think he would 
 take advantage of your parent's absence to claim 
 your promise. Then the almost certainty of my 
 presence, to give the performance a zest. Per- 
 haps, however, the strongest motive of all, but 
 which you could not have known, was to take 
 leave of you. I must do him the justice to say, 
 I believe he thought he saw you for the last time 
 then." 
 
 " Would that it had been ? " said Hildegarde. 
 " I could at least have regretted him as a near 
 relation, and felt pity for his untimely end." 
 
 " And do you not feel this ! " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " No," answered Hildegarde, sternly. " In 
 recalling calmly his words and actions this night, 
 I find him wholly unworthy of esteem. My 
 recollection of him, now stained with blood, is 
 hideous, most horrible." She shuddered while 
 she spoke, and then walked down the dark pas- 
 sage without looking at Hamilton, who held his 
 door open until she had entered her room. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 WHERE IS THE BRIDEGROOM ? 
 
 LJAMILTON'S slumbers were disturbed by 
 
 confused dreams of Hildegarde and Rai- 
 
 mund ; but towards morning he fell into a heavy 
 
 sleep, from which he was awakened by the return
 
 Tldbere is tbe aSriDegroom ? 209 
 
 of Mr. Rosenberg, his wife and children ; the 
 latter, probably to indemnify themselves for their 
 forced good behaviour during their absence, now 
 scampered riotously up and down the corridor, 
 blowing little wooden trumpets, which had been 
 given them by their grandfather just before they 
 had left him. 
 
 When Hamilton was dressed, he found the 
 whole family assembled at breakfast, all in high 
 spirits. Crescenz sprang to meet him in her 
 bridesmaid's dress, looking so pretty that Major 
 Stultz's laboured compliments were for once not 
 only pardonable, but even allowable. 
 
 " Only think ! " she exclaimed, " Hildegarde 
 does not like being bridesmaid, though Marie is 
 much more her friend than mine ! She says she 
 has got a headache, and a cold." 
 
 " I knew," observed Madame Lustig, " I knew 
 she would catch cold, when I saw her turning 
 the ice-cream yesterday. I ought not to have 
 permitted it." 
 
 " The cold is not of much importance," ob- 
 served Madame Rosenberg ; " I rather think 
 she dislikes putting on a thin white muslin dress 
 in the morning." 
 
 " A very natural dislike at this time of year," 
 said her husband. " It makes me freeze only to 
 look at Crescenz." 
 
 " Oh, I don't feel at all cold," cried Crescenz ; 
 " I was down at the Hoffmanns' too, and there is 
 such a splendid dejetint laid out and Marie 
 
 VOL. II. 14
 
 Cbe flnttiate. 
 
 really looks quite lovely in her white silk dress 
 and orange flowers ! " 
 
 " You must excuse my doubting your last 
 assertion, Crescenz," observed her father, smil- 
 ing. " Mademoiselle de Hoffmann is a most 
 amiable, excellent person, but as to looking quite 
 lovely in any dress, the thing is impossible." 
 
 " This day week," said Major Stultz, pom- 
 pously, " we shall see a bride who looks lovely in 
 every dress ! " 
 
 At this moment Hildegarde entered the room ; 
 her paleness was still more apparent than the 
 night before, and her drooping eyelids showed 
 plainly that she had not slept. She wished Ham- 
 ilton good morning without looking at him, and 
 then turned to her father. 
 
 " My dear child," said the latter, taking her 
 hand compassionately, " you seem really ill. 
 Shall I send for Dr. Berger ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ! " she answered, " I I am only 
 cold,' 8 and she walked shivering to the stove. 
 
 " It will soon be time to go downstairs," said 
 Madame Rosenberg. " I think we had better 
 dress ourselves for the occasion. This hint" 
 she added, " is intended for the Major too he 
 seems to forget the present, in anticipation of 
 the future." 
 
 Major Stultz laughed, bowed to Crescenz, who 
 was not looking at him, and left the room with 
 his future father-in-law. 
 
 The moment the door closed, Crescenz
 
 TJdbere is tbe JSSriDegroom ? 
 
 bounded towards her sister. "Oh, Hildegarde, 
 you have no idea how beautifully arranged every- 
 thing is downstairs ! What a pity there are to be 
 so few people ! It was very stupid of Oscar to 
 prefer driving off into the country at this time 
 of year, to having a gay dance in the evening. 
 However, Marie is quite satisfied. Do you 
 know, the old Countess Raimund was below, 
 looking so red and apoplectic. She did not take 
 the least notice of me, though I heard her ask 
 who I was. I dare say her husband would not 
 acknowledge us either ; but he was not there. 
 They said he was to come with Oscar. Another 
 carriage has just driven up to the door. Perhaps 
 that may be Oscar. I wonder, will he be mar- 
 ried in uniform ? No these are some acquain- 
 tances of the Hoffmanns' we don't know 
 them." 
 
 As she continued at the window, her sister 
 approached Hamilton. " Is not this a melan- 
 choly mummery ? " she said, glancing at her 
 bridal dress. " I feel as if I were under the in- 
 fluence of a frightful dream, forced to act against 
 my inclination, and in momentary expectation of 
 some dreadful catastrophe. Am I then really 
 awake ? " she added, extending her cold hand to 
 him. 
 
 " I hope at least I am not dreaming," he said, 
 holding it firmly, and looking at her until a tran- 
 sient flush passed across her pale features. 
 
 " It will be impossible for me to appear sur-
 
 Cbe flnitials. 
 
 prised when I hear what I already know but too 
 well," she said. 
 
 " No one will observe you in such a moment, 
 and I will endeavour to remain near you." 
 
 Here Madame Rosenberg summoned them, 
 and they all descended the stairs together. There 
 were about twenty persons assembled, to whom 
 Madame de Hoffmann was talking in her usual 
 loud, sharp manner, while she paid particular 
 attention to a grand, stiff-looking, elderly woman, 
 in whom Hamilton immediately recognised the 
 mother of Raimund. Hildegarde and Crescenz 
 went into the adjoining room, where the bride 
 was loitering until the arrival of the bridegroom. 
 Hamilton walked to the window, and awaited in 
 anxious silence the expected scene ; a minute 
 after, Count Raimund's carriage drove to the 
 door. Without waiting to see who descended 
 from it, Madame de Hoffmann conducted her 
 daughter into the drawing-room, and while occu- 
 pied in receiving the congratulations of her as- 
 sembled friends, the poor girl did not perceive 
 that her mother had been somewhat mysteriously 
 called out of the room ; soon after the Countess 
 Raimund was summoned, and she returned no 
 more ; Hamilton saw her assisted into her car- 
 riage, and driven off. Then a couple of elderly 
 gentlemen and Mr. Rosenberg were sent for ; 
 the latter alone returned, deprived of his usual 
 serenity, and evidently at a loss what to say. He 
 approached Mademoiselle de Hoffmann, looked
 
 TKflbere is tbe Bridegroom? 213 
 
 round the room, and then said : " I am sorry to be 
 the bearer of unpleasant tidings but Count 
 Raimund has become so suddenly and alarmingly 
 ill, that his mother has been obliged to return 
 home and the marriage cannot possibly take 
 place to-day." 
 
 " 111 ! " exclaimed Marie, growing very pale. 
 " Where is my mother ? " 
 
 She entered at the moment, and Hamilton saw 
 from her extreme agitation that she knew all. She 
 spoke hurriedly and confusedly with her guests, 
 unconsciously showing her impatience to get rid 
 of them. The Rosenbergs were the last, and 
 were about to retire, when Marie laid her hand 
 on Hildegarde's arm, and begged her to remain 
 with her. 
 
 " Mademoiselle Hildegarde will not be able to 
 offer you much consolation, Marie," said her 
 mother, bitterly ; " there is little or no chance of 
 Count Raimund's recovery." 
 
 " While there is life there is hope," said the 
 poor girl, bursting into tears. " I suppose he has 
 got the cholera, but many people have recovered 
 from it, and why should not he ? " 
 
 Madame Rosenberg left the room, followed by 
 her husband, Crescenz, and Hamilton. 
 
 About an hour afterwards, Hildegarde re- 
 turned home, and changed her dress. She found 
 her father, mother, and Major Stultz talking 
 eagerly in the drawing-room ; the moment she 
 appeared, her father exclaimed, " See there is
 
 ftbe Unittals. 
 
 Hildegarde already in mourning ! I am sure a 
 natural feeling of propriety induced her to put 
 on a black dress." 
 
 "A natural feeling of pride," cried Madame 
 Rosenberg ; " she wishes people to know that a 
 Count Raimund was her cousin ; her aunt, how- 
 ever, the Countess, examined her superciliously 
 enough through her lorgnette to-day, without in 
 the least appearing to remember the relation- 
 ship." 
 
 " What is the matter ? " said Hildegarde, ap- 
 pealing to her father. 
 
 " The matter ! " cried Madame Rosenberg. 
 " Your father most absurdly wishes you and your 
 sister to put on mourning for your worthless 
 cousin, and proposes Crescenz's marriage being 
 deferred until after Easter. Heaven knows in 
 these cholera times, where we may all be in six or 
 seven weeks." 
 
 " Babette ! " said her husband reproachfully, 
 " this is going too far." 
 
 " Well, I did not quite mean to say so much, 
 but I am against any further delays ; let the girls 
 wear mourning if you wish it, and I promise to 
 arrange the wedding so quietly that no one will 
 know anything about the matter." 
 
 " This is a reasonable proposal," said Major 
 Stultz. " Crescenz can put on her mourning 
 after her marriage, and wear it for six months, if 
 you wish it." 
 
 "A few weeks, for decency's sake," said Mr.
 
 TRIlbere fs tbe Brt&egroom ? 215 
 
 Rosenberg, " I certainly do desire. Count Oscar 
 at least acknowledged the relationship, and his 
 parents' neglect cannot alter the position of my 
 daughters, or prevent them from mourning the 
 unhappy end of their mother's nephew." 
 
 In the meantime Hamilton had approached 
 Hildegarde, and asked her how her friend had 
 borne the intelligence. 
 
 "We did not venture to tell her. She still 
 thinks and talks of cholera ; but," she added, in 
 a low voice, "imagine Madame de Hoffmann 
 taking me aside, and in the most abrupt and un- 
 feeling manner informing me of the real facts, 
 fixing her small inquisitive eyes on my face the 
 whole time. She little knew how well prepared 
 I was for her intelligence ! " 
 
 " What did you say ? " 
 
 " Very little. That it was a melancholy affair 
 altogether. That Oscar had possessed some good 
 and many brilliant qualities, but that, had he 
 lived, I feared he was not calculated to have 
 made Marie happy." 
 
 " Did she agree with you ? " 
 
 '' More than I wished. She said, that after the 
 first month she had endeavoured to draw back, 
 but that the Raimunds had not allowed her. She 
 had long perceived that Oscar did not care for 
 her daughter, and had suspected that I was the 
 object of his love, and that I returned it too, but 
 she said she was now convinced of her error, and 
 begged my pardon for her unjust suspicion."
 
 216 ttbe irnitiats. 
 
 " And you ? " 
 
 " I pardoned her without difficulty, as you 
 may suppose. Indeed, Oscar's conduct must 
 have alarmed and irritated any reasonable mother. 
 Marie's blindness has been incomprehensible to 
 me." 
 
 " You forget that love is blind." 
 
 " Yes, to faults, but not to flagrant neglect." 
 
 "To weaknesses, faults, ill-usage, to every- 
 thing," said Hamilton. 
 
 "I suppose it is so," said Hildegarde, thought- 
 fully. " Marie certainly was blind to all his 
 errors, and will probably ever remain so. I was 
 dazzled myself at first, as you may remember." 
 
 "Perfectly," said Hamilton, dryly. 
 
 " I know I have a sad habit of taking likings 
 and disliking," she continued, listlessly. 
 
 "Yes, and on such occasions you are not 
 exactly blind ; you can even mistake faults for 
 perfections." 
 
 " I am afraid that it is true," said Hildegarde, 
 leaning back in her chair, with half-closed eyes, 
 and speaking very slowly. " I remember for 
 some time thinking Madame de Hoffmann agree- 
 able and entertaining ; her severe remarks I 
 mistook for wit, until they were directed against 
 myself." 
 
 " And what an antipathy you took to me at 
 first sight ! " observed Hamilton. 
 
 "You have no idea how she disliked you," 
 cried Crescenz, who had, unperceived, ap-.
 
 llBlbere is tbc Bridegroom? 217 
 
 preached them. They both started, and then 
 blushed, as she continued, " if you had only 
 heard her in Berchtesgarden railing at the cold, 
 proud Englishman." 
 
 "Crescenz," said Hildegarde, with evident 
 effort, " don't let us talk of that now ; I cannot 
 defend myself against you both to-day, I am too 
 tired." 
 
 " Perhaps you begin to think differently of 
 him," said Crescenz, archly ; " Lina Berger may 
 after all be right. When we were waiting for 
 you last night at her house, she said she thought 
 your hatred might in the end turn into ' 
 
 " Oh, Crescenz," gasped Hildegarde, in so 
 unnatural a tone that her father called out, 
 " Why, what 's the matter there ? " 
 
 " Hildegarde is getting into a passion," said 
 Madame Rosenberg. " Do you not see how she 
 is changing color ? " 
 
 And changing color she was, with frightful 
 rapidity ; no one but Hamilton knew that she 
 'had been twenty-four hours without eating, for 
 in the hurry of preparing for the wedding, her 
 not breakfasting had passed unobserved. None 
 but he knew the shock which her nerves had 
 received the night before, the constraint under 
 which she had been labouring ; xhe alone under- 
 stood that Crescenz 's last remark was the drop 
 which made the cup of bitterness to overflow, 
 and yet he was quite as much shocked as the 
 others when, stretching out her arm, and vainly
 
 2i8 Sbe flnitiala. 
 
 grasping the air for support, she fell senseless on 
 the floor. 
 
 " Crescenz, what have you said to your sis- 
 ter ? " cried her father, rushing forward. 
 
 " I don't know I don't remember. What 
 did I say ? " she cried, appealing with a look of 
 alarm to Hamilton. 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg raised Hildegarde, who, how- 
 ever, gave no sign of returning life ; he was so 
 alarmed and trembled so violently, that Hamil- 
 ton was obliged to assist him to lay her on the 
 sofa, while Crescenz opened the window, and 
 Madame Rosenberg went for water. Their 
 united efforts at length brought her to conscious- 
 ness ; she opened her eyes, perceived her father's 
 terror as he hung over her, and while assuring 
 him that she was quite well again, relapsed into 
 a state of insensibility, which lasted until she had 
 been removed to her room, and placed on her 
 bed. 
 
 Doctor Berger was sent for. He hoped her 
 illness might prove of no consequence, but she 
 must be kept very quiet ; there were symptoms 
 which might lead to typhus or brain fever. 
 Crescenz repeated this opinion to her sister, 
 who, on hearing it, immediately desired to see 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " But not now not here," said Crescenz. 
 
 " No, I believe I must write a few lines, and 
 you can give my note to him as he passes on his 
 way to his room."
 
 TJdbere is tbe ^Bridegroom ? 219 
 
 Crescenz brought a pencil and paper, and 
 Hildegarde wrote in English : 
 
 " You have heard the Doctor's opinion of my 
 illness ; I think, myself, it will only prove a 
 severe cold. Should it, however, end in fever, 
 and should I become delirious, you must go to 
 Mademoiselle Hortense, one of the governesses 
 in our school, tell her my situation, and say I 
 request her to come and take charge of me. My 
 step-mother will be satisfied with the arrange- 
 ment, and you have no refusal to fear ; my 
 motives you will easily guess." 
 
 " May I read it ? " asked Crescenz as she 
 received the paper from her sister " ah ! it is 
 English ; how fond you are of everything 
 English." 
 
 " It is a commission to Mademoiselle Hor- 
 tense ; you may see her name," said Hildegarde. 
 u Mr. Hamilton can more easily go to her than 
 you can." 
 
 " Oh, if that be all, I am glad you have chosen 
 him, for you know I am horribly afraid of her." 
 
 " I know," said Hildegarde, pressing her hand 
 on her forehead, and turning away. 
 
 The next two days were passed over in uncer- 
 tainty, and Hamilton wandered about disconso- 
 lately enough ; but on the third, Hildegarde 
 appeared to relieve his mind ; and so great was 
 her father's joy at her recovery, that he actually 
 spent the whole evening at home, without even 
 requiring a rubber of whist.
 
 220 tTbc Ifnittals. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE WEDDING AU TROISIEME. 
 
 OEVERAL days passed over. Count Rai- 
 ^ mund's death had been much discussed 
 among his acquaintance, who almost unanimous- 
 ly agreed in thinking he had committed the rash 
 act to avoid a connection so much beneath him. 
 He was more regretted than he deserved ; his 
 various talents having made him unusually popu- 
 lar, and, in the society in which he had moved, 
 people were not generally in the habit of studying 
 character, or seeking motives of action. His circle 
 was, however, so completely unknown to the 
 Rosenbergs ; they were so totally without any sort 
 of communication with any member of it, now that 
 Count Zedwitz had ceased to frequent their house, 
 that they heard none of the remarks not one 
 of the particulars. It spared Hildegarde much 
 anxiety, for his wounded hand, the blood-stained 
 dagger, and open door, had caused many inquir- 
 ries ; and had it not been for a letter which he 
 had written to his father (in the vain endeavour 
 to exculpate himself), might have led to suspi- 
 cions of murder. 
 
 The Rosenbergs heard nothing, and the prepa- 
 rations for Crescenz's marriage began ; they were 
 conducted with ostentatious secrecy to please 
 Mr. Rosenberg, who had consented to its taking 
 place sooner than had been expected, as the Hoff-
 
 (Tbe Wedding au Groisieme. 
 
 manns had left the house, and removed altogether 
 to Augsburg. Madame Berger had promised to 
 play waltzes if the company should prove numer- 
 ous enough to enable them to dance, and Madame 
 Lustig had spent two or three afternoons cooking 
 for the supper. On the wedding-day, Hamilton 
 was not a little surprised to find Crescenz sitting 
 composedly at breakfast in her gingham morning- 
 wrapper, while her father left the room to go to 
 his office as usual. 
 
 " I believe I have dressed too early," he said, 
 glancing at his studied toilet ; " may I ask at 
 what hour " 
 
 "At five in the afternoon," answered Hilde- 
 garde. " Mamma has determined to keep her 
 promise, and has desired our friends to meet us 
 at the Frauen Church. On our return it will be 
 almost dark, and no one will know that we have 
 a wedding in the house." 
 
 " But we shall dance," cried Crescenz, " and 
 Major Stultz said I might waltz as often as I 
 pleased with you this evening ! " 
 
 " How very kind ! " said Hamilton, smiling ; 
 " and how often do you intend to make use of the 
 permission ? " 
 
 " That depends upon you, I should think," she 
 answered, blushing. 
 
 " You had better not trust to my discretion. I 
 shall be tempted to make up for lost time, and 
 dance with you the whole evening. You have 
 put no sugar in my coffee," turning with a look
 
 Sbe Untttalg. 
 
 of mock distress to Hildegarde. " Did you for- 
 get it on purpose to punish me for being so late ? " 
 
 " No. I I was thinking of something." 
 
 " And that something ? " 
 
 " Is not of much importance. I was thinking 
 that, had you made that speech to Crescenz a few 
 months ago, I should have been angry, for I 
 should have imagined you were amusing your 
 self at her expense whereas I now know that 
 you mean nothing, but that you will dance with 
 her two or three times this evening." 
 
 "And," said Hamilton, warmly, "and that I 
 like to dance with her, and am obliged to her for 
 wishing to dance with me. I mean that, too." 
 
 "I knew you did," cried Crescenz, triumph- 
 antly. " I am sure I always understood you 
 better than Hildegarde, notwithstanding all her 
 cleverness ; but from the time that Count Zed- 
 witz told her that you were already quite a man 
 of the world, a a what was the word, Hilde- 
 garde ? " 
 
 " I don't remember the word," she answered, 
 calmly. 
 
 " It meant, I remember," said Crescenz, " a 
 person who was too cold and calculating for his 
 years who was too worldly to have much feel- 
 ing." 
 
 "That was unjust that was saying too much," 
 cried Hamilton, colouring. 
 
 "So Hildegarde thought also, but she has 
 always insisted that you are proud and calculat-
 
 Cbe TUfleDOtno au Groisteme. 223 
 
 ing, and that you seek to amuse yourself with 
 other people's feelings and weaknesses." 
 
 " Is this your opinion of me ?" said Hamilton, 
 turning to Hildegarde. 
 
 " It was," she replied, steadily. 
 
 " Oh, Hildegarde is not afraid to say what she 
 thinks ; her opinion of you must have greatly 
 changed, if it be what you would like to hear." 
 
 Hildegarde moved behind her sister to hide 
 the intense blush which now spread over her 
 features, and, placing her hand on her shoulder, 
 perhaps to prevent her from turning round, she 
 said, in a low voice, and with an embarrassed 
 manner, " Crescenz, you have no idea, I am sure, 
 how you are paining me at this moment. You 
 are forcing me to confess, that I have not in this 
 instance acted towards you with my usual can- 
 dour. I have the very highest opinion of Mr. 
 Hamilton." 
 
 " Well, to be sure !" exclaimed Crescenz, while 
 she endeavoured to catch a glimpse of her sister's 
 face, but Hildegarde moved still further back, 
 and continued : " That I disliked him at first is 
 most true, more on your account, however, than on 
 mine ; for his open hostility to me was excusable 
 his covert attentions to you unpardonable," 
 
 " But," said Crescenz, who seemed altogether 
 to have forgotten Hamilton's presence ; "but when 
 did you begin to think differently of him ? " 
 
 " From the time that he has ceased to be the 
 subject of altercation between us," answered
 
 224 be fmtiate. 
 
 Hildegarde, bending over her sister, and kissing 
 her forehead. 
 
 " But, Hildegarde," cried Crescenz, turning 
 round with unexpected energy, " before we went 
 to the ball, do you remember, when I told you 
 that Lina Berger had said that Mr. Hamilton 
 might still be my scha " 
 
 Hildegarde's two hands closed over her mouth, 
 and the word was stifled in utterance. " Good 
 gracious ! I quite forgot he was still here," she 
 cried, making a slight effort to laugh, and then 
 running out of the room. 
 
 A long pause ensued. Hildegarde began to 
 arrange the cups and saucers on a tray, until 
 Hamilton, without looking up, asked her if she 
 could remember the very time when her opinion 
 of him had changed. 
 
 " Perfectly ; it was the night of Crescenz's 
 quarrel with Major Stultz. Your explanations 
 by moonlight in our room were upright and 
 honourable." 
 
 " And you forgave my having flirted with her 
 at Seon ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and I forgive your having tried to do 
 the same with me here." 
 
 "The case is totally different," began Hamilton. 
 
 " There is some difference, I allow," said Hil- 
 degarde ; " you warned me so well, that it would 
 have been inexcusable my not understanding 
 you besides, I had the advantage of hearing 
 from Count Zedwitz, that you considered your-
 
 Cbe "WfleDWnc} au Srofsieme. 225 
 
 self at liberty to act as you pleased after having 
 so fairly warned me." 
 
 " Zedwitz's love for you made him forget his 
 friendship for me altogether," said Hamilton, 
 with some irritation. 
 
 " I do not blame your conduct to me," said 
 Hildegarde ; " you wanted to improve yourself 
 in German, and found quarrelling or flirting with 
 me the most exciting method. I have profited 
 by your society also, for I have not only learned 
 to pronounce English, but," she added, with an 
 arch smile, "I begin to understand something 
 of the art of flirting, too, of which, I do assure 
 you, I knew nothing when our acquaintance 
 began." 
 
 " Oh, do not say that," cried Hamilton ; " you 
 are only joking, I am sure, for you have no in- 
 clination that way, but your sister Crescenz 
 
 " My sister Crescenz knew nothing of your 
 propensities that way at Seon, and, therefore, I 
 blame your conduct towards her. Your love, if 
 you ever felt any, was pardonable ; people can- 
 not help that, I believe but your endeavours to 
 make her dislike Major Stultz were quite unpar- 
 donable." 
 
 " I acknowledge it," said Hamilton, gravely, 
 " and regret it." 
 
 " That fault you were able in a measure to 
 repair," continued Hildegarde, "but, perhaps, 
 you are not aware that you have been the cause 
 of frequent altercations between me and my sis- 
 
 VOL. H. IS
 
 226 Gbe ITnitials. 
 
 ter and that almost total estrangement has taken 
 place between us in consequence." 
 
 " And is that my fault, too ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " I don't know," she replied, sorrowfully. 
 " Before we became acquainted with you, we 
 never had the most trifling difference of opinion 
 and now we never think alike, and all confid- 
 ence is at an end ! " 
 
 "You take the matter too seriously," said 
 Hamilton ; " I am convinced your sister is not 
 aware of your estrangement." 
 
 " I am afraid you are mistaken " began Hil- 
 degarde, but at this moment Crescenz entered 
 the room ; she was dressed to go out, and asked 
 her sister to accompany her. 
 
 " Let us be off," said Hildegarde, " we have no 
 time to lose." 
 
 " May I go with you," asked Hamilton. 
 
 " N o, I rather think not," replied Hilde- 
 garde. 
 
 "But he may come for us in an hour or so," 
 said Crescenz, nodding to him with a smile. 
 
 "Tell me where I shall find you." 
 
 Crescenz coloured and hesitated. " In in 
 
 my in the in Major Stultz's apart- 
 ments." 
 
 " We are going to arrange the furniture," said 
 Hildegarde, closing the door. 
 
 The hour had scarcely half elapsed, when 
 Hamilton found himself again with the two sis- 
 ters ; he was without ceremony desired to make
 
 ttbe TICle&Dtnfl au Grotsteme. 227 
 
 himself useful, and immediately employed in 
 assisting to arrange a press which was to be filled 
 with linen afterwards the chairs and tables 
 were moved about in all directions, the etaglre 
 admired, and finally they adjourned to the kitch- 
 en, where Crescenz, with amusing exultation, 
 exhibited, one by one, her culinary utensils to 
 Hamilton, explaining their uses, and assuring 
 him that though her mother intended to give her 
 Walburg as servant, she was determined to cook 
 everything herself. While she was yet speaking, 
 old Hans came to say she was expected home 
 they were to dine earlier than usual, and the hair- 
 dresser was expected before two o'clock. She 
 became very pale, and after having dismissed him, 
 sat down on a little wooden stool, and began to cry. 
 Hildegarde silently made a sign to Hamilton to 
 leave them, and greatly wondering at the sudden 
 change, he walked back to the drawing-room. 
 
 On glancing round at the furniture which 
 Crescenz considered so splendid, he could not 
 help smiling at the frugality of her taste. Was 
 he to be envied for his more lavish ideas ? As- 
 suredly not. Everything in this world, from the 
 diamond to the first thing beyond the absolute 
 necessaries of life, is valued fictitiously. The 
 actual worth depends on the mind of the posses- 
 sor, and is regulated in civilised countries by- 
 unconsciously made comparisons the mental 
 effort losing itself in the result. To Crescenz 
 the thin white muslin curtains were quite as
 
 228 Cbe flnitials. 
 
 desirable, even on a cold day in February, as 
 to Hamilton the richest silk the yellow sofa, 
 with its hard-stuffed cushions and perpendicular 
 sides, was intended to be a seat of honour for a 
 guest, and was not adapted for reclining even 
 Hamilton must have failed in discovering a pos- 
 ture of repose upon it, and he had a most decided 
 talent for making himself comfortable. The six 
 chairs had long thin legs, but the wood which 
 had been spared on the legs had been con- 
 scientiously bestowed on the backs, which were 
 tastefully formed to represent hearts. A table, 
 two chests of drawers, and the etagere completed 
 the furniture of the room. As Hamilton stood 
 before the latter, trying to admire the cups, 
 saucers, glasses, and bronze candlesticks arranged 
 upon it, and reflected in the looking-glasses which 
 for that purpose formed the back, Hildegarde 
 and her sister entered ; Crescenz, with the traces 
 of recent tears on her face, nevertheless looked 
 complacently around her, for the twentieth time 
 arranged the folds of the curtains, dusted the 
 table with her handkerchief, and then led the 
 way down-stairs. 
 
 At five o'clock, a party of about sixteen or 
 eighteen persons assembled in the private chapel 
 of the Frauen Church to witness the marriage of 
 Major Stultz and Crescenz Rosenberg. The 
 bride shed no tears, she looked very pretty and 
 very shy the bridegroom rather stouter and 
 redder than usual. Madame Rosenberg openly
 
 tlbe tffle&dfng au Groteteme. 229 
 
 expressed her satisfaction, and hoped the day 
 was not far distant when she should be in the 
 same place, and for the same purpose, on Hilde- 
 garde's account. Hildegarde was pale and silent, 
 and Mr. Rosenberg alone showed that he was 
 endeavouring to control his emotion. 
 
 On their return home, they found the rooms 
 lighted, and supper prepared under the superin- 
 tendence of Madame Lustig. They spent three 
 hours at table, and then they danced, and then 
 they ate, and then they danced again until past 
 midnight, when, to conclude the festivity, punch 
 was made. Let it not be supposed that this was, 
 as in England, a simple mixture of water, sugar, 
 and Cognac, or rum. In Germany, it is a com- 
 plicated business, and notwithstanding the pre- 
 vious preparations of Madame Lustig, Madame 
 Rosenberg, and three or four matrons accom- 
 panied her to the kitchen to assist in the brewing. 
 Each had a different receipt and a separation of 
 the parties became absolutely necessary, as one 
 proposed using black, another green tea, for the 
 mixture, while the others were for rice-water or 
 wine. Hamilton, who had become a sort of 
 authority in the house on all subjects, was 
 consulted, but on his venturing to suggest pure 
 water, Madame Rosenberg, laughingly pushed 
 him towards the drawing-room, saying, it was 
 evident he knew nothing about the matter he 
 might dance until the punch was ready ! 
 
 Most excellent it proved to be, however con-
 
 230 ftbe flnftiate. 
 
 cocted, when at length Madame Rosenberg 
 appeared with a soup-tureen full, and dispensed 
 it ladlewise to the surrounding company, who 
 then crowded round Major Stultz and Crescent, 
 in order to clink their glasses, and partake of 
 a colossal sponge-cake, which the latter dis- 
 tributed in ample portions. 
 
 A short time afterwards, old Hans announced, 
 " The carriage for Miss Crescenz," and she re- 
 tired with evident reluctance to put on her 
 shawl. The whole company prepared to leave 
 at the same time, and were soon altogether in 
 the corridor. Crescenz embraced her step-mother, 
 and somewhat formally thanked her for her kind- 
 ness and generosity. She held out her hand to 
 Hamilton, and then threw herself into her sister's 
 arms, and burst into tears. " Come, come, Cres- 
 cenz," cried her father, with an attempt at gayety 
 he was far from feeling, " this will never do 
 you are taking leave as if seas and not streets 
 were to separate us. Come," and he drew her 
 arm within his, and led her down-stairs. The 
 others followed, all but Hildegarde, and after a 
 moment's hesitation, Hamilton. They returned 
 to the deserted drawing-room, where Hildegarde 
 threw open the window and leaned out. 
 
 They soon heard Crescenz's voice saying 
 cheerfully, " Good-night, Lina good-night, papa 
 good-night, Hildegarde." 
 
 " Good-night," answered her sister from the 
 window, and the carriage drove off.
 
 a Gbange. 231 
 
 " Well, have we not spent a merry evening ! ; ' 
 cried Madame Rosenberg, triumphantly, as she 
 almost breathlessly entered the room a few 
 minutes afterwards. " This has been a gay 
 wedding after all, you see, Franz." 
 
 " It has," he answered, sinking dejectedly on the 
 sofa ; " I am quite provoked with myself for feel- 
 ing so low-spirited. I believe I am not well." 
 
 " Ah, bah," cried his wife, laughing, " if you 
 had been ill, you could not have supped as you 
 have done. Perhaps, however, you have eaten 
 too much fish, or turkey, or ham ? At all events, 
 I am sure you are tired and sleepy, so you may 
 go to bed, while we put everything in order 
 again." 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg, as usual, followed his wife's 
 advice without contradiction. He held Hamil- 
 ton's hand for a moinsnt, as if he intended to 
 say something more than the good-night which 
 was scarcely audible. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 A CHANGE. 
 
 T T AMILTON was wakened about three o'clock 
 in the morning by Hildegarde rushing in- 
 to his room, and exclaiming, " For heaven's sake, 
 get up get up, and come to my father I am
 
 232 $be ffnittals. 
 
 afraid he has got the cholera. You have seen 
 people ill, and know the symptoms. Oh, come 
 we do not know what to do ! " 
 
 " Send for the Doctor," cried Hamilton. " I 
 shall be with you in a moment." 
 
 On entering Mr. Rosenberg's room, Hamilton 
 found Hildegarde standing beside his bed, while 
 Madame Rosenberg was walking up and down 
 the room, gesticulating like a person in a state of 
 mental derangement. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Hamilton," she exclaimed, the 
 moment she perceived him, " tell me, only tell 
 me that Franz has not got the cholera, and I 
 shall be grateful as long as I live ! It would 
 be too hard were he to have it now, when people 
 say there is nothing more to fear. Last week, 
 only one man quite a decrepit old man, died of 
 it ? I am sure Franz has only eaten too much 
 supper yesterday evening. Don't you think so ? 
 Say that he has not got the cholera, and I shall 
 believe you implicitly." 
 
 But Hamilton could not say so, nor unfortu- 
 nately Dr. Berger either ; the case was at once 
 pronounced a bad one, and, in a fearfully short 
 time, quite hopeless. Consternation and dismay 
 pervaded the whole household, Avhen, on the 
 morning of the third day, poor Mr. Rosenberg 
 was no more. Completely overpowered by the 
 suddenness of her own bereavement, Madame 
 Rosenberg retired to her room, unable to speak 
 to anyone.
 
 a Cbange. 233 
 
 Major Stultz immediately undertook the neces- 
 sary arrangements for the funeral, and gave 
 directions for the printing of circular letters to 
 announce the death to distant relations and 
 friends, a custom which saves the mourning 
 family the performance of a most painful duty. 
 Hamilton took the two little boys to their sister 
 Crescenz. Her married life had begun in 
 anxiety and sorrow, and Hamilton felt some 
 natural trepidation at seeing her again, under 
 such painful circumstances ; but her grief was of 
 the most tranquil description, the tears flowed 
 unrestrained over her round rosy cheeks, and 
 when they ceased left not a trace behind. Al- 
 though but a few days had elapsed since she had 
 left her family, a not quite willing bride, she had 
 already begun to repeat her husband's words as 
 oracles. Hamilton half smiled as he heard her : 
 "Thank goodness, that she at least was pro- 
 vided for, and had a home ! She hoped poor 
 dear Hildegarde would not now begin to repent 
 having refused such a man as Major Stultz, the 
 more so, as that refusal precluded the possibility 
 of her ever residing with them !" 
 
 Poor Hildegarde ! She had not bestowed one 
 thought, much less a regret, on Major Stultz. 
 Hamilton, on his return, found her sitting in her 
 room, perfectly motionless, with parched lips, 
 and eyes devoid of tears. He hoped she had at 
 length begun to think of herself recommended 
 her to try to eat something, and go to bed.
 
 234 be Ifnttials. 
 
 She looked at him as if his words had not 
 conveyed the slightest sense to her mind walked 
 uneasily up and down the room for a few 
 minutes, and then said, with a shudder, " I am so 
 afraid of his being buried alive ! Do you think 
 he was quite quite dead ? If I could only see 
 him once more." 
 
 " And who could be so cruel as to prevent 
 you ? " exclaimed Hamilton. " If it be any relief 
 to your mind, I will remain in his room to-night ? " 
 
 " In his room ! " she cried, clasping her hands 
 convulsively : he is no longer there they have 
 taken him 'away to the deadhouse." 
 
 " The deadhouse ! Where is that ? " 
 
 " In the burying-ground. They have watches 
 there, I believe, but still he is among all the 
 frightful corpses, and should he come to himself 
 imagine how horrible ! You will go with me 
 you will let me see him once more ? I cannot 
 else believe that he is really dead ! " 
 
 " I will go with you there, or anywhere you 
 please," said Hamilton, completely overcome by 
 her evident wretchedness. 
 
 The weather was unusually inclement ; a storm 
 of falling sleet almost blinded them as they 
 waded through the half-melted snow which lay 
 on the road outside the town ; but Hildegarde 
 seemed unconscious of all these impediments, 
 hurried on silently until she reached the church- 
 yard, where she turned to a building, which 
 had escaped Hamilton's observation on a former
 
 a Cbange. 235 
 
 occasion, and walked directly up to a row of glass 
 doors, and stood as if transfixed with horror. 
 Hamilton was in a moment at her side, and it 
 must be confessed that to those who were not 
 inured to the various aspects of death, the scene 
 which presented itself was shocking in the ex- 
 treme. On tables in the interior a long row of 
 open coffins were arranged, their ghastly tenants 
 dressed with a care that seemed to mock the 
 solemnity of death and interment. A young 
 officer was in uniform, as if about to appear on 
 parade an elderly gentleman dressed for a ball 
 a young girl whose half-open mouth and eyes 
 showed the struggle with which soul and body 
 had parted, was crowned with flowers, and a long 
 white veil lay in white folds over her bare arms 
 and white dress, reaching almost to the satin 
 shoes which covered the stiff, cold feet as they 
 protruded beyond the coffin in hideous rigidity. 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg was now scarcely recognisable ; 
 his livid features were contracted, and not a trace 
 remained of that beauty for which he had been 
 so remarkable. Hamilton turned away, but 
 again his eyes encountered death. Another and 
 lighter room was filled with the corpses of poorer 
 persons and children ; the latter indeed seemed 
 to sleep, and on them the wreaths of flowers did 
 not appear misplaced. 
 
 Hildegarde seemed unable to tear herself from 
 the spot, nor did Hamilton feel disposed to dis- 
 turb her until he perceived a number of persons
 
 236 Gbe Initiate. 
 
 hurrying to and fro, and torches glimmering in 
 the churchyard ; he then asked a woman, who 
 appeared with a bunch of keys in her hand, if 
 there was to be a funeral. 
 
 " I believe the Countess Raimund is to be 
 buried this evening," she answered. 
 
 " Not one of these ? " cried Hamilton, pointing 
 to the place where Hildegarde stood. 
 
 " Yes ; just there beside the gentleman who 
 died of cholera that old lady in black satin with 
 her mouth wide open it was shameful negli- 
 gence of those about her not to close it before 
 the jaw stiffened." 
 
 " Hildegarde," said Hamilton, drawing her 
 arm within his, " you must now leave this place. 
 There is to be a funeral." 
 
 " I know I heard," she said, allowing herself 
 to be led away, with her head still turned tow- 
 ards the chamber of death. " The only prece- 
 dence which the Countess Raimund can now 
 claim of my father," she added, bitterly, " is that 
 of first descending into the grave ! How absurd 
 all pride appears when standing at the threshold 
 of a charnel-house ! " 
 
 " Very true," said Hamilton, " but how seldom 
 the proud how seldom anyone thinks of such a 
 place. Where are you going now ? " 
 
 " To my mother's grave." 
 
 He made no opposition, for he hoped that 
 some sudden recollection would put an end to 
 the unnatural calmness of her manner, and was,
 
 a Change. 237 
 
 for this reason, not sorry to perceive that the 
 grave-digger had already been at work ; the 
 place was measured, and some shovelfuls of earth 
 had been thrown over the grave she came to visit. 
 
 She seemed for a few minutes to pray, and then 
 sat down beside the stone cross, and began 
 assiduously to arrange the leaves of the still green, 
 though withered, ivy wreaths which she had 
 placed on it in November. 
 
 " I am trying your patience unpardonably," 
 she observed at length, rising from her cheerless 
 occupation, " and it is all to no purpose." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " I expected to feel something like sorrow for 
 my father's loss. You will be shocked when I 
 tell you that I cannot feel anything resembling it. 
 Before I came here I thought my odious apathy 
 was caused by doubts of the reality of his death 
 those doubts are all removed I know that he is 
 dead ; that in a few hours he will be in the grave, 
 and moulder beside my mother's skeleton, and 
 I do not, cannot feel anything like grief ! " 
 
 " You are too much stunned by the sudden- 
 ness," began Hamilton. 
 
 " Not so," said Hildegarde, quietly, " I assure 
 you I never felt more perfectly contented than 
 at this moment ; were it not that I shudder at 
 my total want of sensibility." 
 
 ' If it be insensibility," said Hamilton ; " but 
 you have so much decision, so much firmness of 
 character, that "
 
 238 Gbe Unitials. 
 
 "No, no," she cried, hastily interrupting him ; 
 " this is not firmness. Do not imagine that I 
 feel emotion which I am endeavouring to con- 
 ceal, or suppressing tears ready to flow ; I only 
 feel an almost irresistible inclination to walk or 
 run without stopping ! " 
 
 " I am surprised that you do not find yourself 
 completely exhausted," said Hamilton. " It 
 would certainly be more natural, when one takes 
 into consideration that you have not slept for 
 three nights, or eaten anything for nearly three 
 days ! " 
 
 " And you also have passed three sleepless 
 nights," said Hildegarde, " and without the hopes 
 and fears which made the want of rest impercep- 
 tible to me. I ought to have remembered that 
 sooner." 
 
 " I was not thinking of myself," cried Hamil- 
 ton. "And your hopes and fears," he added, in 
 a lower voice, " I have most truly participated. 
 Will you never believe that your joys are my 
 joys, your sorrows my sorrows ? " 
 
 He waited in vain for an answer ; Hildegarde 
 leaned heavily on his arm, and breathed quickly ; 
 he at length caught a glimpse of her face, and 
 was so shocked at the convulsive workings of her 
 features that he beckoned to one of the numer- 
 ous hackney coachmen returning from the church- 
 yard, and silently placed his unresisting companion 
 in the carriage. She sighed so deeply, and then 
 gasped so fearfully for breath, that he let down
 
 n Cbangc. 239 
 
 all the windows, and experienced the most heart- 
 felt pleasure when at length she burst into a 
 passion of tears. 
 
 She wept unrestrainedly until they reached 
 home, but, even on the stairs as they ascended, 
 Hamilton perceived a return of her former unnat- 
 urally composed manner. 
 
 During the next day Madame Rosenberg was 
 almost constantly surrounded by her friends and 
 acquaintance. Towards evening Crescenz drew 
 her sister aside, and whispered : " Oh, my dear 
 Hildegarde, this is an irreparable loss for you ! " 
 
 " Irreparable indeed ! " said Hildegarde, mov- 
 ing her head dejectedly ; " I wish it had pleased 
 God to let me die instead of my father few 
 would have mourned for me ! " 
 
 " I 'm sure, dear, I don't know what is to be- 
 come of you now ! I can't bear to think of it, 
 but I suppose you will have fo apply to Made- 
 moiselle Hortense to get you a situation as gov- 
 erness ; you know she promised to do so whenever 
 you wished it " 
 
 " I know," said Hildegarde, rubbing her fore- 
 head with her hand, and biting her under lip 
 with an expression of great distress. " Let us 
 talk about that some other time I cannot think 
 yet." 
 
 " It was Lina Berger who talked about it ; she 
 said she was sure that mamma would not propose 
 your remaining with her, and Major Stultz says 
 that "
 
 240 Gbe "ffnitials. 
 
 " Crescenz," said Hildegarde with some im- 
 patience, " say what you please to me from your- 
 self, I am ready to hear you ; but do not torture 
 me now with the opinions of either Lina Berger 
 or Major Stultz." 
 
 " Well, to be sure ! And how often have 
 you said that you considered him a sensible 
 man ! " 
 
 " I have not changed my opinion, but as I 
 know he can feel no sort of interest in anything 
 that concerns me, I do not wish to hear what he 
 has said." 
 
 " Ah, I see Mr. Hamilton has been telling you 
 he smiled so strangely when I was speaking to 
 him yesterday, that I was sure he would tell you 
 everything but indeed I wished to have had you 
 with me directly ; it was my first thought, but 
 Blazius said that what occurred at at Seon 
 you know, made it quite impossible ! " 
 
 " Mr. Hamilton told me nothing of all this," 
 said Hildegarde. "I thank you for your kind 
 intentions, dear Crescenz ; I can imagine that 
 Major Stultz's refusal to comply with your wishes 
 has pained you ; but -you may set your mind at 
 rest, for I feel even more intensely than he can, 
 the impossibility of my ever becoming an inmate 
 of his Rouse. " 
 
 " Well," said Crescenz, apparently greatly 
 relieved ; " I 'm sure I am glad to hear you say 
 so, for though he talked very sensibly, and all that, 
 this morning, I could not help crying, and was
 
 H Cbangc. 241 
 
 quite uncomfortable at the idea of speaking to 
 you about it ; I was afraid you might think that 
 now I am married, I love you less." 
 
 " Four days is too short a time to work such a 
 change, I hope," said Hildegarde, with a melan- 
 choly smile ; then suddenly seizing her sister's 
 hands, she exclaimed, " Oh, Crescenz, love me ! 
 Love me still as much as you can think how I 
 shall miss my father's affection ! " 
 
 " Very true, indeed, as Blazius says ; my 
 father bestowed his whole affection on you, and 
 quite overlooked me ! " 
 
 Hildegarde gazed at her sister for a moment in 
 silence, and then turned away with tearful eyes. 
 She saw that Crescenz would soon be lost to her 
 
 
 
 forever. Major Stultz already directed her 
 thoughts and words, as completely as she herself 
 had done when they were at school together. 
 She watched her returning to their step-mother's 
 room, and then walked slowly towards the door 
 leading to the passage. Hamilton was standing 
 at the stove had heard the sister's conversation, 
 and filled with compassion for her deserted posi- 
 tion, he seized her hand as she passed, and 
 passionately pressed it to his lips without speak- 
 ing. When she raised her heavy eyelids to look 
 at him, she saw that his eyes were suffused with 
 tears. 
 
 " I thank you for your sympathy," she 
 murmured with trembling lips, as she withdrew 
 her hand, and hurried out of the room,
 
 242 Gbe initials. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 THE ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 A FTER the interment of Mr. Rosenberg, some 
 *" time passed over in melancholy monotony. 
 Madame Rosenberg employed herself principally 
 in the inspection and arrangement of papers ; 
 Hildegarde wandered about the house, endeavour- 
 ing in an absent manner to make herself useful. 
 She even tried to assist the new cook, but her 
 efforts were so entirely unsuccessful, that her 
 mother begged she would desist, as she had no 
 sort of talent in that line. 
 
 Mr. Rosenberg had been a kind husband and 
 an affectionate father ; Hamilton had invariably 
 found him an agreeable companion, but his con- 
 stant occupation in his office, and an inveterate 
 habit of going out every evening, had made his 
 society an occurrence of such rarity, that Hamil- 
 ton in a short time became quite resigned to his 
 loss ; in fact, but for the mourning dresses, Hil- 
 degarde's unconquerable dejection, and the never 
 failing tears of Madame Rosenberg, as she cir- 
 cumstantially related to every visitor the history 
 of her husband's illness and death, he would 
 soon have forgotten that he had ever existed. 
 He attended the college lectures, studied German 
 with his friend Biedermann, rode, walked, in 
 short, continued all his former occupations, with 
 the exception of his quarrels with Hildegarde
 
 Brrangement. 243 
 
 these had now entirely ceased ; he obeyed her 
 slightest directions, anticipated her wishes with a 
 sort of quiet devotion so completely directed to 
 her alone, but so unobtrusive,that Madame Rosen- 
 berg failed to observe more than that they had 
 learned to live peaceably in the same house to- 
 gether, and praised them both more than once 
 for having ceased their silly and useless quarrels. 
 
 One day, about the beginning of April, Hilde- 
 garde recalled him just as he was about to leave 
 the house, saying that her mother wished to speak 
 to him ; he laughingly demanded if the probably 
 not very important communication could not be 
 deferred to another day, as he had promised to 
 meet some friends at Tambosi's in the Hofgarten. 
 Hildegarde gravely shook her head, and said she 
 believed her mother was waiting for him. 
 
 "What a bore ! " he exclaimed, striding along 
 the passage ; " I suppose I shall be detained half 
 an hour to hear a lecture about having forgotten 
 to extinguish the candles last night, or having 
 burned my boots on the stove ! I really wish, 
 Hildegarde, you would give your new cook in- 
 structions about my room it is not at all neces- 
 sary that your mother should be informed every 
 time an accident occurs there." 
 
 Madame Rosenberg was sitting at an old- 
 fashioned scrutoire furnished with innumerable 
 diminutive secret and apparent drawers ; she 
 had a small packet of bills beside her, and 
 various heaps of money before her. When Ham-
 
 244 Ube flnitials. 
 
 ilton entered, she immediately moved back her 
 chair, and pointed to another beside her, which 
 she wished him to occupy. Now that Hamilton 
 had already become a little spoiled by Madame 
 Rosenberg's indulgence, praises, and deference 
 to his opinion, he had learned to like her and 
 even overlook her vulgarity ; but in proportion 
 as his affection had increased his respect had 
 decreased, and like the spoiled son of a weak 
 mother, he now stood leaning against the door, 
 refusing with an impatient gesture the offered 
 chair, and murmuring some unintelligible words 
 about business and disappointments. 
 
 " I shall not detain you long," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, drawing out of her pocket an enor- 
 mous linen handkerchief, and wiping away two 
 large tears, which were obtrusively rolling down 
 her cheeks. " I ought to have spoken to you 
 long ago, but I have been thinking over and over 
 the means of rendering my communication less 
 disagreeable." 
 
 " So," cried Hamilton, closing the door, and 
 advancing towards her, " so it is not about the 
 boots you are going to lecture me ? " 
 
 " No," she replied, half laughing, " though I 
 must say " 
 
 " I know all you are going to say," cried Ham- 
 ilton, laughing, " extravagant habits, horrible 
 smell, danger of burning the house, and all that ! 
 Suppose it said I am very contrite indeed, and 
 promise not to burn either shirt or boots for
 
 G be Brrangement. 245 
 
 three weeks to come, and not at all when the 
 weather is warmer and the stove is not heated." 
 
 " In three weeks, and when the weather is 
 warmer, we shall be too far apart for me either 
 to lecture or detain you in my room against your 
 will ! " 
 
 " My dear Madame Rosenberg," exclaimed 
 Hamilton, springing towards her, and not only 
 seating himself on the previously disdained chair, 
 but drawing it so close to hers that she involun- 
 tarily drew back ; " my dear Madame Rosenberg, 
 you surely do not mean that I must leave you ? " 
 
 " I do, indeed," she answered, nodding her 
 head slowly and despondingly, and again the 
 monstrous handkerchief was put in requisition. 
 " I 'm sure," she added, somewhat surprised at 
 the varying emotions depicted on his counte- 
 nance, " I 'm sure it 's very kind of you to be so 
 sorry to leave us I thought the loss was wholly 
 on our side." 
 
 " I have spent seven of the happiest months of 
 my life in your house," began Hamilton. 
 
 " Six months and one week," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, interrupting him ; " you were three 
 weeks at Havard's, you know, and when we are 
 settling our account the three weeks must be 
 deducted, for, as poor dear Franz said " 
 
 " I should like to know your intentions with 
 respect to Hildegarde," said Hamilton, who had 
 not heard one word of the explanation. 
 
 " Hildegarde goes with me to the Iron Works,
 
 246 Sbe flnitiale. 
 
 as people now call them ; poor Franz was so un- 
 easy about her on his death-bed, that I promised 
 him she should never leave my house excepting 
 with her own free will, and always have the 
 power of returning to it when she chose, and that 
 she should receive on her marriage a trousseau in 
 every respect like her sister's." 
 
 " This promise must have been a great relief 
 to his mind," observed Hamilton. 
 
 " It was," said Madame Rosenberg, and the 
 tears flowed fast as she added : " I would have 
 given him everything I had in the world to have 
 made him contented in his last moments. We 
 lived so happily together during the twelve years 
 which we passed in this house. I cannot remain 
 here any longer the house the furniture 
 Munich itself has become odious to me. I in- 
 tend to return to my father. Fritz will be made 
 a gentleman, as his father wished it, at the mili- 
 tary school. Gustle must be his grandfather's 
 successor at the Iron Works ; he has, at all 
 events, no great love of learning ; and Peppy is 
 too young to be taken into consideration at 
 present." 
 
 " Take me with you to the Iron Works," said 
 Hamilton, abruptly. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg looked at him as if she did 
 not quite comprehend. 
 
 " Take me with you to the Iron Works," he 
 repeated. 
 
 She shook her head. " It is no place for you,"
 
 arrangement. 247 
 
 she said, steadily, " nor is my father, though an 
 excellent man, a companion for you. Your pa- 
 rents would be dissatisfied, and with reason, were 
 you to bury yourself in an insignificant village, 
 just so many miles from Munich as to prevent 
 your being able to avail yourself of the advan- 
 tages which you told me you had found here for 
 the completion of your education." 
 
 Hamilton felt the justness of her remark, and 
 did not attempt to contradict it ; he had, how- 
 ever, no intention of quitting a family of which 
 Hildegarde was still to be a member ; nor did he 
 much concern himself about the satisfaction or 
 dissatisfaction of his parents just at that moment. 
 He understood Madame Rosenberg perfectly, 
 and changed his tactics. Throwing himself back 
 in his chair, he said, with apparent resignation : 
 " Well, I suppose I must spend the ensuing five 
 months at Havard's, that 's all ! " 
 
 " At Havard's ! What an idea ! " exclaimed 
 Madame Rosenberg ; " to be giving suppers and 
 drinking champagne every night ! I never heard 
 of anything so absurd ! ' 
 
 " Why, where else can I go ? I cannot well 
 take a lodging and engage a cook and housemaid 
 for myself, can I ? " 
 
 " No," replied Madame Rosenberg, half laugh- 
 ing, " not exactly that but a lodging, or a family 
 might be found. Suppose, for instance, that 
 Madame Berger should have proposed taking 
 you, in case the Doctor have no objection, eh ? "
 
 248 Cbe Ifnitials. 
 
 "I am sure I have none," said Hamilton, 
 vainly endeavouring to suppress a smile as he 
 added, " she is one of the prettiest little women I 
 ever saw, and with time and opportunity I have 
 no doubt I shall fall desperately in love with her. 
 You will not be there to sustain me with your 
 good advice and a but at least you will be 
 answerable for the consequences, as you will have 
 led me into the temptation ! " 
 
 " Good heavens ! Not for all the world would 
 I take such a responsibility upon myself ! " cried 
 Madame Rosenberg, with a look of amazement ; 
 "Lina, too, so giddy and thoughtless, and the 
 Doctor never at home ! It would never do, I see. 
 But who would have imagined that you would 
 think of such a thing at your age ! " 
 
 " I am just at the age to act more from impulse 
 than reason, and I consider you too much my 
 friend not to speak candidly to you. If Major 
 Stultz were not so insufferably jealous, you could 
 make me over to Crescenz my regard for her is 
 really of the most blameless description, and will 
 never be otherwise." 
 
 " Oh, the Major would never listen to such a 
 proposal." 
 
 " Then I have no alternative but Havard's 
 Havard's or your house," he continued, taking 
 her large hard hand and pressing it fervently ; 
 " dear Madame Rosenberg, let me go with you ; I 
 have a sort of presentiment that it is the only 
 means of keeping me out of mischief ; besides, I
 
 ftbe arrangement. 249 
 
 can ride or drive into Munich two or three times 
 a week." 
 
 " But I have no room for you," she cried, with 
 a look of distress ; for the earnestness of his 
 manner had begun to move her. 
 
 " Youmustmake room forme,"urged Hamilton. 
 
 " And as to your horses and Hans " 
 
 " Oh, I can easily find quarters for them in the 
 neighbourhood." 
 
 " You will have to sleep in a room without a 
 stove " 
 
 " I don't want a stove in summer." 
 
 " Well then," she said hesitatingly, "If you think 
 that you can be satisfied with the accommodation 
 which I have at my disposal, you can accompany 
 us to the country. Should our manner of living, 
 or what I fear more, my father, not suit you, you 
 can leave us, you know ; we will part friends at 
 all events." 
 
 " Don't talk or think of parting," cried Hamil- 
 ton, gayly. " I am sure I shall find your father 
 a most worthy person we shall get on famously 
 together. When do you leave ? It will be quite 
 delightful to breathe the country air. I assure 
 you I feel already impatient to be off." 
 
 " On the 24th I purpose leaving Munich," said 
 Madame Rosenberg, once more drawing her chair 
 towards her scrutoire, and beginning to count her 
 little heaps of money. 
 
 " Are those Iron Works romantically situated ? " 
 asked Hamilton.
 
 250 Gbe flnitials. 
 
 " N o. They are on the high road at the 
 end of the village ; but there is a fine old oak 
 wood quite close to us." 
 
 "Ah! an oak wood," repeated Hamilton, 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 " We have also a garden and orchard behind 
 the house ; the smoke from the forge indeed 
 spoils the flowers greatly, but there is an arbour 
 under the trees where we can breakfast, and 
 drink coffee after dinner, in summer the arbour 
 is quite covered with roses and honeysuckles." 
 
 " Ah, that is delightful ! " cried Hamilton, in 
 vision imagining himself sitting with Hildegarde 
 in the rose and honeysuckle arbour. 
 
 " But you are forgetting your appointment," 
 observed Madame Rosenberg, who had been in 
 vain endeavouring to correct a fault in her 
 reckoning. 
 
 " A civil way of telling me to leave you in 
 peace," said Hamilton, laughing. 
 
 " Not at all, I assure you. If you have really 
 no appointment, I shall be glad to talk over my 
 plans with you." 
 
 " I had an appointment," he said, looking at his 
 watch, " for which I am too late. I have another, 
 for which I am a few minutes too early." 
 
 "A few minutes," repeated Madame Rosen- 
 berg. " That will never do for me. In your ' few 
 minutes ' I can only inform you that you must 
 go for a few days at least to Havard's, until I 
 have got everything in order. Hildegarde and
 
 Hrrangement. 251 
 
 the children I intend to pack off the day after 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " Oh, pack me off, too, with Hil - with the 
 children," cried Hamilton, eagerly. " I wish you 
 would consider me really as one of them." 
 
 " Well, I am sure I have always done so since 
 you have been with me. Poor Franz often said 
 I took great liberties with you." 
 
 " I cannot remember anything of the kind." 
 
 " Why, have you forgotten the Sunday Fritz 
 broke the window in the drawing-room, when 
 you were teaching him to box ? " 
 
 " I remember you boxed his ears, poor fellow, 
 which he certainly did not deserve, as he was 
 not really the cause of the mischief. It was 
 I who pushed him against the window, and, if 
 I recollect right, both Mr. Rosenberg and I 
 protested " 
 
 " Yes, you protested, and that made me still 
 more angry ; but if you don't remember what I 
 said to you, so much the better. Franz said he 
 believed you never heard it, as you were laugh- 
 ing with Madame Berger, and I was afterwards 
 very sorry for having said so much, especially 
 about the rough English plays." 
 
 Hamilton smiled. " I suppose," he said turn- 
 ing towards the door, " Hans may pack up my 
 chattels ; you will send me to the country with 
 the children." 
 
 " No, no, no ; " cried Madame Rosenberg, 
 hastily, " that will never do ; I must write to my
 
 252 tlbe ITmtials. 
 
 father and explain. If he knew the sort of per- 
 son you are he would never consent to your 
 becoming an inmate of his house ! " 
 
 " Am I, then, so very disagreeable ? " asked 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " Quite the contrary but you do not under- 
 stand my father. In short, it is better to tell 
 you at once why should I be ashamed to say 
 it ? He was a common journeyman smith so 
 extremely industrious, of such enormous strength, 
 and with so much talent for mechanics, that he 
 made himself not only useful, but altogether in- 
 dispensable to my grandfather, who, rather than 
 lose him, gave him his daughter in marriage. 
 Our forge became in time an iron work, and he 
 is now the richest man far and wide. To see 
 him, you would not suppose so ; he is neither 
 
 changed in manner nor dress " Madame 
 
 Rosenberg paused. 
 
 " Well ? " said Hamilton. 
 
 " Well ! " she repeated, a little impatiently. 
 " It is plain enough, I think, that such a man 
 will not suit you or you suit him." 
 
 " I don't know that," said Hamilton. " A man 
 who has turned a forge into an iron work, and 
 who, from having nothing, has become rich by 
 honest means, must be possessed of good sense 
 and good talents, too. As to his appearance or 
 dress a man's coat " 
 
 " That "s just what I am afraid of," cried 
 Madame Rosenberg.
 
 arrangement. 253 
 
 " Do you think I attach much importance to a 
 coat ? I assure you that I am determined to like 
 your father with and without a coat." 
 
 " I will write him that, and it will at once put 
 an end to our difficulties, for if I say that he will 
 never imagine you are so fastidious - " 
 
 " I don't quite understand - " said Hamil- 
 ton, with a puzzled air. 
 
 " It would never do you see were we to in- 
 convenience him," said Madame Rosenberg, " or 
 force him to change his mode of life. He likes 
 to work and dine in his shirt-sleeves, and is not 
 over particular how his meals are served this I 
 can change, perhaps, but against the shirt sleeves 
 I can do nothing, and I know it is very vulgar ; 
 Franz told me so often enough." 
 
 " I have no sort of objection to his shirt 
 sleeves," said Hamilton, " provided he allow me 
 to wear a coat. What matter ! If this be the 
 reason why I should not go with Hildegarde and 
 the children the day after to-morrow, I think 
 you may waive all ceremony and tell your father 
 that I belong to the family. You have made an 
 agreement to keep me for six months longer." 
 
 " This is a good idea," said Madame Rosen- 
 berg, laughing. " I will write to him to-morrow, 
 and I dare say I shall have an answer in a day 
 or two." 
 
 Hamilton perceived he had gained every con- 
 cession he could reasonably demand, and left the 
 room quietly and thoughtfully.
 
 254 tCbe flnitials. 
 
 Hildegarde had prepared her brothers for 
 their afternoon walk, and was waiting with some 
 indications of impatience for his appearance. 
 He had been forbidden to walk with her, but 
 had established a sort of right to be informed 
 where she intended to go that he should ride 
 near her, or at least become visible during her 
 walk, was a sort of tacit agreement. 
 
 "The Nymphenburg road," cried Gustle, 
 springing towards him. " May I have one of 
 your canes ? " 
 
 " And may I, too, have one to ride upon ? " 
 asked Peppy. 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " Hildegarde will show 
 you those you may take." 
 
 " Oh, come, Hildegarde," cried Gustle, pulling 
 her rather roughly ; " come and choose the canes 
 for us. I must have the little black one with 
 the horse's head on it." 
 
 But Hildegarde showed no inclination to move. 
 " You were a long time in my mother's room," 
 she said at length, with some embarrassment. 
 
 " Not longer than was necessary to make her 
 consent to take me with her to the country. Oh, 
 Hildegarde, what pleasant walks we shall have in 
 the oak wood, and how much happier we shall 
 be there than here ! Were you ever at these 
 Iron Works ? " 
 
 " Not since I was a child," answered Hilde- 
 garde, smiling as she had not smiled since her 
 father's death ; " I remember the noise of the
 
 Gbe Difficulty "Removes. 255 
 
 hammers was incessant, and the house shook a 
 good deal, and the white window-curtains were 
 very soon soiled." 
 
 "We shall get used to the hammers, I dare 
 say," said Hamilton, laughing. " As to the house 
 shaking, that must be imagination ; and the win- 
 dow-curtains can be easily changed, you know." 
 
 " But mamma said nothing in the world would 
 induce her to take you with us. How did you 
 persuade her ? " 
 
 " I can tell you all that when I return home. 
 Excuse me as well as you can, should I be late 
 for supper. Good-by." 
 
 " Where are you going ? " asked Hildegarde. 
 
 He whispered a few words, and then hurried 
 down-stairs. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE DIFFICULTY REMOVED. 
 
 IT was late in the evening, and Hamilton had 
 not yet returned. Madame Rosenberg began 
 to get a little uneasy, and very impatient, when 
 fortunately Madame Berger arrived to complain 
 bitterly of her husband, who had declined re- 
 ceiving Mr. Hamilton as an inmate of -his house 
 on any terms. " He says I am too young and 
 he is too often absent and people might talk ! 
 Did you ever hear anything so absurd ? "
 
 256 Cbe Unitials. 
 
 "I believe he is right," said Madame Rosen- 
 berg, " you are too young 
 
 " I wonder it never occurred to you that your 
 step-daughters were still younger !" cried Madame 
 Berger, glancing towards Hildegarde, who was 
 sitting at the window looking into the street. 
 
 " The case is quite different," said Madame 
 Rosenberg ; " we are a large family, and where 
 the father and mother are in a house 
 
 " Pshaw ! " cried Madame Berger, impatiently ; 
 " Cressy liked him, for all that, better than she 
 will ever like her husband, I suspect ! " 
 
 " Who told you that ? " cried Madame Rosen- 
 berg, with a look of amazement. 
 
 "My own eyes," replied Madame Berger, with 
 a slight laugh ; " and not Hildegarde," she added, 
 in answer to a look of suspicion which Madame 
 Rosenberg had cast on her step-daughter. " Be- 
 lieve me, neither the presence of father nor 
 mother can prevent these things." 
 
 " Crescenz is most happily married," began 
 Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 " So am I but I preferred Theodor Bieder- 
 mann to the Doctor, as you well know. You need 
 not look so astonished at hearing me speak the 
 truth, Hildegarde. I vow one would almost im- 
 agine you heard this for the first time ! As if 
 Cressy had not betrayed me long ago, not to 
 mention Mademoiselle Hortense, who of course 
 used me as a scarecrow for the whole school ! 
 Excepting, perhaps, the dear, good old Doctor,"
 
 Difficulty IRemoveO. 257 
 
 she continued, " there is not one of my acquaint- 
 ances who does not know that I nearly cried my 
 eyes out about Theodor." 
 
 "And is it possible you have not told Dr. 
 Berger ? " cried Hildegarde, turning quickly 
 round. " Did you not feel bound in honour - " 
 
 " No, mademoiselle," replied Madame Berger, 
 sharply ; " I did not feel myself bound in honour 
 deliberately to destroy my domestic peace I 
 leave it to you to make such a confession when 
 you are going to be married, if you think it neces- 
 sary ! " 
 
 " I am afraid Hildegarde is not likely to be 
 married at all, now that we are going to live at 
 the Iron Works," sighed Madame Rosenberg. 
 " The only neighbour we have is the Forster, and 
 he - " 
 
 " Lord bless you ! " cried Madame Berger, 
 " Hildegarde would never look at a Forster if he 
 were not by chance a count or baron. Had Mr. 
 Hamilton only been a Milor, she would never 
 have thought of quarrelling with him, I can tell 
 you ! " 
 
 " Caroline ! madame ! " exclaimed Hilde- 
 garde, with a vehemence that made Madame 
 Berger retreat a few steps from the window, while 
 she cried, with affected fear, <ir Good heavens ! I 
 had no idea you could get into a passion about 
 him ! And here he is," she added, springing 
 again to the window as she heard the sound of a 
 horse's hoofs on the pavement ; " here he is, and 
 
 VOL. H. 17
 
 258 Gbe Initials. 
 
 I suspect there are few Milors to be compared to 
 him ; he certainly is the handsomest creature I 
 ever saw ! An ideal of an Englishman ! Un 
 amour I " 
 
 " Lina ! " said Madame Rosenberg, reproach- 
 fully, " you must forgive my observing that this 
 language is not proper for a young married 
 woman." 
 
 " Ah, bah ! as if I were serious ! Have you 
 forgotten that you used to say I always spoke 
 without thinking ? Now, Hildegarde there thinks 
 without speaking, perhaps ! " 
 
 " Not of Mr. Hamilton," said Madame Rosen- 
 berg, " for she did not even look out of the win- 
 dow at your amour, or whatever you call him. 
 Hildegarde, go and tell him we have waited nearly 
 two hours for him, that supper is ready, and that 
 I beg he will come just as he is, and not make 
 an evening toilet for once in a way." 
 
 She had not time to deliver her message, for 
 Hamilton entered the room with unusual precipi- 
 tation, and handed Madame Rosenberg an enor- 
 mous, ill-folded, long-wafered letter. 
 
 " From my father ! " she exclaimed, with sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " Yes ; he has no sort of objection to my 
 accompanying you to the Iron Works ; he says 
 you may take me instead of Fritz." 
 
 " A good idea," cried Madame Berger, as she 
 came from behind the window-curtain ; " it is, 
 however, Mr. Hamilton's, and not your father's."
 
 Difficulty "Removed. 259 
 
 "It is in the letter, however," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, eagerly perusing the inelegant speci- 
 men of penmanship ; " but I do not see any 
 thing about Hans or the horses." 
 
 " Oh, I said nothing about them, they can go 
 to the inn." 
 
 " But we have a stable - " began Madame 
 Rosenberg. 
 
 " I know you have, and a pair of stout greys in 
 it. Your father has promised me a lift into Munich 
 every Saturday, when he sends in his iron." 
 
 " On the cart ? " asked Madame Berger. 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " there are places for 
 two on the seat in front. The offer was very civil, 
 considering the shortness of our acquaintance." 
 
 " It is a proof, at all events, that he has taken 
 a great fancy to you," said Madame Rosenberg, 
 with an air of great satisfaction ; " and as you wish 
 to go with the children, Hildegarde must arrange 
 your room for you. Do you hear, Hildegarde ? " 
 
 " Yes, mamma." 
 
 " I must give you a green curtain to hang up 
 before the alcove where the bedstead is to be 
 put, and it will be nearly as good as two rooms. 
 You must make new muslin curtains for the win- 
 dows as soon as possible." 
 
 " Your grandfather made most particular in- 
 quiries about you," observed Hamilton, turning 
 to Hildegarde. 
 
 " He is not my grandfather ; he is no relation 
 whatever of mine," she answered in French,
 
 260 abe ffnitlals. 
 
 while her colour heightened rapidly, and seemed 
 to be reflected in Hamilton's face, which became 
 crimson. 
 
 "I don't understand French," said Madame 
 Rosenberg, looking at them alternately ; " but I 
 think I can guess ; however, it is no matter 
 read this letter, Hildegarde ; in it you will find 
 everything, and more than you could have heard 
 from Mr. Hamilton. My father is willing to act 
 towards you as a relation ; do not, by an ill-timed 
 exhibition of pride, turn his kindly feelings 
 towards you into dislike." 
 
 She received the letter and the not undeserved 
 rebuke in silence ; while Hamilton, to divert 
 Madame Berger's attention, began a description 
 of his meeting with Mr. Eisenmann, of their dis- 
 course, and supper. 
 
 " It must have been delicious, the whole scene," 
 cried Madame Berger ; " I shall pay you a visit 
 at the Iron Works the very first day the Doctor 
 can let me have the horses." 
 
 " Pray bring the Doctor with you when you 
 come," said Madame Rosenberg, unconsciously 
 glancing towards Hamilton. 
 
 Madame Berger saw the glance, observed that 
 Hamilton laughed, and immediately inquired the 
 cause. Madame Rosenberg refused to tell her, 
 and she appealed to Hamilton, who immediately, 
 with the most perfect composure, and without 
 the slightest reserve, repeated all the part of their 
 morning conversation which related to her. She 
 seemed to enjoy the recital and Madame Rosen-
 
 Uron Works. 261 
 
 berg's face of horror equally. " One thing is 
 certain," she said, when he had ended, " had you 
 been so many months in the same house with 
 me, as you have been with Hildegarde, we should 
 have - " 
 
 " You seem altogether to forget the Doctor," 
 said Madame Rosenberg, interrupting her, almost 
 angrily. 
 
 " To tell the truth, I sometimes do forget that 
 I am married ; but Mr. Hamilton understands 
 badinage perfectly, so you need not look so 
 shocked at my bavardage." 
 
 " I wish you would speak German," said 
 Madame Rosenberg, fidgeting on her chair ; 
 "you use so many French words, that I cannot 
 understand the half of what you say." 
 
 " I believe I had better go home," cried 
 Madame Berger, good-humouredly. " Allow 
 me to hope you will be civiler to me when I 
 visit you in the country ! Bon soir." 
 
 " Good-night," said Madame Rosenberg, dryly, 
 without making the slightest effort to detain her. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE IRON WORKS. 
 
 IN a few days, Hildegarde, the children, and 
 
 Hamilton were established at the Iron Works ; 
 
 her recollections proved tolerably correct, the 
 
 noise of the hammers was almost incessant, not
 
 262 abe ifnttials. 
 
 even ceasing during the night, and as the house 
 adjoined the iron works, it shook at times until 
 the windows rattled. Hamilton did not much 
 notice the white curtains, but from pure sym- 
 pathy with Hildegarde, he regretted the smuts 
 which fell, flake-like, in the garden, and seemed 
 destined to rob the coming flowers of half their 
 beauty. Old Mr. Eisenmann was not a little 
 proud of his garden, and great was his satisfac- 
 tion when he found Hildegarde willing to assist 
 him in cultivating it. The plants which most 
 interested Hamilton were the numerous cactuses 
 which filled all the windows in the front of the 
 house, and whose brilliant flowers already made 
 every passer-by stop to gaze at them. Nothing 
 could equal the old man's delight on such occa- 
 sions ; if the weather were warm enough, he 
 generally opened the window and related how he 
 had managed his plants during the winter, in 
 order to make them blow so early, and it had 
 been Hamilton's unaffected admiration of these 
 cactuses, as he had walked up to the house, 
 which had formed the commencement of their 
 acquaintance. 
 
 During the fortnight which preceded Madame 
 Rosenberg's arrival, Hamilton enjoyed the most 
 unrestrained intercourse with Hildegarde ; he 
 watched her making the coffee in the morning, 
 sat beside her at the open window looking into 
 the garden, and accompanied her in her walks 
 with her brothers in the oak wood ; here there
 
 ttbe Iron IKUorfcs. 263 
 
 was a small chapel in which she daily prayed, 
 while Hamilton, leaning against the entrance, 
 stared absently at the votive offerings hung 
 around, or endeavoured to decipher the old 
 German prayers, and texts of Scripture, with 
 which their inhuman illustrations were pasted on 
 the walls. The two boys generally scampered 
 about, but joined them when they sat down on 
 one of the numerous benches under the trees. 
 Hamilton usually held a book in his hand, out of 
 which he sometimes read a few lines, especially 
 when any obtrusive wanderers made their appear- 
 ance, though on week-days, pilgrims to the little 
 chapel, who afterwards came to beg a few 
 kreutzers, were the only interrupters of their 
 studies, meditations, or conversation, as the case 
 may have been. 
 
 " I wish," he said, as they loitered through the 
 fields on their way home, the evening before 
 Madame Rosenberg's arrival, " I wish I were 
 certain of spending the next six months as I 
 have done the last fortnight. I cannot tell you 
 how I have enjoyed myself. Much as I like 
 your step-mother, and notwithstanding all her 
 kindness and indulgence to me, I dread her 
 coming more than I can express. Everything 
 will be changed, and any change must diminish 
 my happiness." 
 
 " You have nothing to apprehend but a removal 
 of the furniture in your room," replied Hilde- 
 garde, with a quiet smile ; " but I cannot expect
 
 264 Cbe ITnfttats. 
 
 any longer to eat the bread of idleness ; I must 
 learn to cook, and wash, and iron ? " 
 
 " You will never be able to endure such work," 
 exclaimed Hamilton. 
 
 " I shall try it for a few months at all events, 
 and as long as you are here," she added, frankly, 
 " I think I can bear it, as your society and friend- 
 ship will be an indemnity for most annoyances." 
 
 Hamilton's expressions of gratitude she inter- 
 rupted by continuing, " After all, what shall I do 
 more than girls in my rank of life must always do ? 
 Even Crescenz, since her marriage, has learned to 
 iron. Did you not see her ironing Major Stultz's 
 shirts when we went to take leave of her ? " 
 
 " Yes, but he is her husband ; and it was a mere 
 ostentation of usefulness on her part, for your 
 mother told me she need not do anything of the 
 kind if she did not wish it. Crescenz, however, 
 does not appear misplaced when so employed, 
 but you " 
 
 " Strictly speaking, I am not more misplaced 
 than she is. We have both received an educa- 
 tion beyond our station in the world. I have, 
 perhaps, profited more by the instruction be- 
 stowed on me than she has ; but you must allow 
 that she has shown infinitely more capacity for 
 the necessary duties of life." 
 
 " If it be her duty to iron her husband's 
 shirts," answered Hamilton, laughing, " I must 
 say she performs it in the most charming manner 
 possible. Nothing could be more coquettish
 
 flron TJGlorfcs. 265 
 
 than the black silk handkerchief twisted round 
 her head to prevent her from feeling the draught 
 of air, or the sleeves tucked up just enough to 
 exhibit the dimples in her white arms ! I must 
 say, Crescenz is perfectly aware of all her per- 
 sonal advantages ! " 
 
 " And who is not aware of them ? " said Hil- 
 degarde, " or rather who does not overrate them ? " 
 
 " You do not, most certainly ! " cried Hamil- 
 ton. " I am convinced you do not think - " 
 
 " That I am handsome ? " said Hildegarde, 
 interrupting him quietly ; " I know it perfectly 
 well. You are shocked at my candour," she 
 added, after a pause, on observing that he con- 
 tinued silent ; " it would have been more proper 
 to have disclaimed but, after all, what worth 
 have regular features, when they are inanimate ? 
 And mine are so, I know." 
 
 " You are mistaken," said Hamilton ; " I have 
 never known anyone whose features have ex- 
 pressed so many various emotions as yours have 
 during the few months of our acquaintance." 
 
 " That I have felt more than during the whole 
 of my previous life, is most certain," she said, 
 thoughtfully ; " It seems, then, I have not been 
 able to acquire that composure of mind and 
 feature which Mademoiselle Hortense so often 
 told me would be essentially necessary for my 
 happiness." 
 
 " I am rather inclined to hate that Mademois- 
 elle Hortense without ever having seen her,"
 
 266 abe IFnitfals. 
 
 cried Hamilton ; " I think she wished to make 
 an actress of you ! " 
 
 " No, she wished to make a good governess of 
 me, as my step-mother desired her, and she saw 
 that my pride and violence of temper would 
 prove serious obstacles. My gratitude to her is 
 unbounded for all her care and attention during 
 so many years. She is my only hope for the 
 future too on her I depend to find me some 
 respectable situation, should my residence here 
 become uncomfortable." 
 
 " Have you ever seriously thought of taking 
 such a step ? " 
 
 " I believe I have talked more than thought on 
 the subject. One thing I have resolved upon, 
 and that is, to go as far as possible from home." 
 
 " Should you like to go to a foreign country ? " 
 
 " Foreign, as you understand the word no, 
 but I am not likely to have the power of choos- 
 ing. Mademoiselle Hortense's connections are 
 all in Alsace, and my destination will probably be 
 Strasburg." 
 
 They walked on in silence, each absorbed in 
 thoughts of no very agreeable description. As 
 they drew near the house, Mr. Eisenmann came 
 to meet them, accompanied by the Forster, who 
 had begun to drop in regularly every evening, to 
 drink a glass of beer with the old man. Hamil- 
 ton greatly approved of the arrangement, as it 
 left him at liberty to talk unreservedly in Eng- 
 lish to Hildegarde, who, however, would have
 
 fron Worfts. 267 
 
 preferred his absence, from the time that Hamil- 
 ton had made her observe that his eyes were 
 fixed upon her incessantly, and followed her 
 wherever she went. 
 
 " This is the last evening you will be my house- 
 keeper, Hildegarde," said Mr. Eisenmann, as she 
 pushed his arm-chair to the table, and placed his 
 newspaper, which seemed to contain nothing but 
 advertisements, beside the small brass lamp. " I 
 can give you a good character, girl ; you have a 
 way with you that has made the people here obey 
 you at once. She will make a good wife one of 
 these days eh, Mr. Hamilton ? Eh, Forster 
 Weidmann ? " 
 
 Hildegarde smiled, and continued to perform 
 her different evening duties. She gave her 
 brothers their bread-and-milk, assisted the awk- 
 ward maid-servant to arrange the supper-table, 
 made the salad, carved the fowl, and presented 
 each his plate with such quiet unobtrusiveness, 
 that her motions were only apparent by the rust- 
 ling of the large bunch of keys she was to resign 
 to her mother the next day, but which now hung 
 glittering in steel chains at her girdle a la 
 chatelaine. 
 
 Hamilton had been agreeably surprised at 
 finding Mr. Eisenmann by no means so illiterate 
 as he had expected. On every subject relating 
 to his trade he was perfectly well informed, and 
 in other respects his opinions were those of a 
 shrewd, intelligent man. He spent the greater
 
 268 
 
 part of each day at the Iron Works, his hands 
 thrust into his pockets, a short and very brown 
 meerschaum pipe between his teeth, and his eyes 
 following the movements of his workmen ; and 
 sometimes, when provoked by their want of skill, 
 or too dilatory movements, after a few impatient 
 ejaculations, throwing aside his coat and working 
 with them. In his house, too, Hamilton had now 
 frequently seen him in his shirt-sleeves, without 
 feeling any of the horror expected by Madame 
 Rosenberg ; in the evening he generally mounted 
 a black silk nightcap, and when he had finished 
 smoking his pipe and drinking his tankard of 
 beer, and the Forster had taken leave, overcome 
 by the fatigue of early rising and his daily exer- 
 tions, he usually fell fast asleep, leaving his two 
 companions to whisper, until the Scharwald clock 
 struck nine, when wakening without any apparent 
 effort, he sent them to bed, and retired for the 
 night himself. 
 
 This evening this last evening, as they chose 
 to call it the Forster showed no inclination to 
 move, and his eyes now seemed to follow the 
 motions of Hildegarde's lips, as she murmured 
 an occasional sentence to Hamilton ; he tried in 
 vain to join in their conversation, spoke of bring- 
 ing his zither, proposed teaching them to play it, 
 if they desired, and not finding either of them 
 disposed to appreciate either his conversational 
 or musical talents, he turned to the now drowsy 
 old man, whom he contrived to waken com-
 
 <Ibe fron Works. 269 
 
 pletely by some reference to the eternal " good 
 old times." 
 
 " Pray, Hildegarde, turn away from that man," 
 said Hamilton, bending down to her, as she sat 
 in one of the children's low chairs beside him ; 
 " as long as he can look at you he finds it im- 
 possible to tear himself away it is absolute 
 cruelty he is depriving Mr. Eisenmann of his 
 sleep this evening. Unpardonably inconsider- 
 ate ! " he added, almost angrily. 
 
 Hildegarde, without an attempt at deprecation, 
 lit a taper, and retiring to the other end of the 
 room, where there was a thin-legged rickety 
 table, she took from a cupboard the large house 
 account-book, a hideous leaden ink-bottle, and a 
 well-worn pen, and began to add and subtract 
 with a diligence which would have put Hamil- 
 ton's temper to the proof, had not the Forster 
 almost directly stood up to take leave ; but the 
 old man was now quite roused, and, moreover, 
 disposed to be loquacious ; he let his visitor 
 stand before him in the awkward posture of a 
 shy man, wishing to get away, and not knowing 
 how to manage it, while he observed : " When 
 people say the old times were good, and the 
 present times are bad, I always feel obliged to 
 contradict them. No offence, good Mr. Weid- 
 mann, but in my youth I have often heard just 
 the same thing said, and in those times as in these, 
 the greater part of mankind had to earn their 
 bread in ' the sweat of their face.' "
 
 270 Cbe Unitials. 
 
 " I suppose so, sir," said the Forster, trying to 
 move, but restrained by the old man's continuing 
 to address him. " I wish you a good-night." 
 
 "All I know is," resumed Mr. Eisenmann, 
 addressing Hamilton, " that Bavaria, of all the 
 countries I have seen, appears to me to be the 
 happiest. Of England I know nothing, except- 
 ing the manufacturing towns " 
 
 " When were you there ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " Soon after the peace I went there on busi- 
 ness." 
 
 " And what did you think of England ? I 
 should like to know what impression was made 
 on you by our great manufacturing districts ?" 
 
 " I saw much to admire, but nothing to make 
 me think the English a happier people than the 
 Bavarians," replied Mr. Eisenmann, with a low, 
 satisfied laugh. " I would rather have been born 
 a smith here than there, for, besides the instruc- 
 tions which I received for nothing in my child- 
 hood, I had, during my youth, my Sunday and 
 holiday pleasures, my merry dances, and my pot 
 of beer in good company, and with good music, 
 too, of an evening and a lot of other things of 
 which your English workmen had not an idea 
 when I was amongst them. It may be different 
 now " 
 
 " I am afraid it is not," said Hamilton ; " but 
 surely our manufactories must have astonished 
 you ! " 
 
 " I should have understood very little of my
 
 flron Works. 271 
 
 business if they had not," replied Mr. Eisenmann. 
 " In this respect England is a giantess, but, like 
 a giantess, ought to be admired at a distance and 
 not examined in detail." 
 
 " I perceive," said Hamilton, " that the people 
 with whom you associated have made an un- 
 pleasant impression on you." 
 
 " Perhaps so, but I am inclined to think it was 
 a correct one. I mixed with people whose habits 
 and mode of life are, and will ever remain, totally 
 unknown to you it was probably before you were 
 born, too, and may, as I said before, be quite 
 different now at all events it is too late to talk 
 more about it to-night ; I must look after my 
 workmen, and then it will be time to go to bed." 
 He lit his candle and walked towards an office 
 which communicated with the Iron Works. 
 
 " What a different person Mr. Eisenmann is 
 from what I expected ! " observed Hildegarde. 
 
 " He is different from what I expected, too," 
 answered Hamilton. 
 
 " I am beginning to have quite a respect for 
 him," she continued, "in short, I think him a 
 remarkably clever man." 
 
 " You are always in extremes, Hildegarde 
 first you unnecessarily underrated, and now you 
 overrate him ! " 
 
 " I suspect," said Hildegarde, laughing, " you 
 are annoyed at his not thinking the English 
 workmen happier than the Bavarian ; his re- 
 marks, however, appeared to me very intelligent;
 
 272 ttbe flnitialg. 
 
 he is quite willing to allow England her superi- 
 ority in manufactures, though not in the felicity 
 of her lower orders. For a person in his station 
 of life, you must allow " 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " for a person in his 
 station in life, I do think him unusually well- 
 informed and rational, but what I find most to 
 admire about him is, that he has not stood still 
 between his thirtieth and fortieth year, as most 
 men who are not actually moving in the world do, 
 and which I verily believe is the cause of those 
 never-ending praises of the good old times." 
 
 " He is the first person," said Hildegarde, 
 "that I have heard actually give the present 
 times the preference to those of his youth ! " 
 
 " He has followed the changes of the world," 
 said Hamilton, " and that is a proof of intellect 
 less often given than people imagine. Every- 
 body's youth must be, I should think, more 
 agreeable than their old age. The world is full 
 of pleasures for youth, which by degrees, slowly 
 but surely, even under the most fortunate cir- 
 cumstances, cease for the aged. Happy those 
 who, like Mr. Eisenmann, can understand and 
 appreciate the improvement in the world still 
 more happy those who, when old, can find enjoy- 
 ment in witnessing pleasures in which they can 
 no longer participate." 
 
 " But there are some fortunate persons who 
 never appear to grow old," said Hildegarde. 
 
 "Oh, don't call them fortunate," cried Hamil- 
 ton ; " age must be felt by everybody, though
 
 an TUnejpecteO Meeting. 273 
 
 by some it may be borne cheerfully. Nothing is 
 so disgusting as the affectation of youth in an 
 old person. I consider it a positive misfortune 
 to those who retain their youthful manners in old 
 age ! To grow old with dignity, is not so easy 
 as people imagine I could write a pamphlet 
 about it " 
 
 " Pray do," said Hildegarde, smiling, " I should 
 like to learn to grow old I who have never 
 really felt what it was to be young ! " 
 
 " I am waiting to bid you good-night," said 
 Mr. Eisenmann at the door. " This is the last 
 time I shall go the rounds, for I mean to resign 
 my office to my daughter to-morrow she locked 
 all the doors, and bolted all the windows, for 
 many a year before she was married ! " 
 
 " He has just come in time," said Hamilton, 
 rising, " I believe I was getting very prosy." 
 
 " And I very melancholy," said Hildegarde. 
 
 The old man bade them good-night, and 
 watched them gravely as they ascended the stairs 
 and separated on the lobby. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 AN UNEXPECTED MEETING AND ITS CON- 
 SEQUENCES. 
 
 1VA ADAME ROSENBERG took possession of 
 ' " * her father's house more quietly than had 
 been expected ; he resigned his keys and author- 
 ity with a solemnity which quite subdued her, 
 
 VOL. II. 18
 
 274 Gbe Ifnitials. 
 
 and a whole week elapsed before any extraordi- 
 nary bustle was perceptible ; at the end of that 
 time a scrubbing, and washing, and painting 
 began, which drove the old man to the neigh- 
 bouring inn, and Hamilton into Munich, for 
 some days. It was very disagreeable, but cer- 
 tainly the house appeared metamorphosed when 
 it was at an end, and no complaints were heard, 
 excepting a few faint murmurs from Mr. Eisen- 
 mann about the vine which was trained against the 
 front of the house being covered with whitewash. 
 Hildegarde, to her infinite satisfaction, was not 
 obliged to learn cooking she had shown a too 
 decided distaste and want of talent ; she became, 
 however, a tolerably expert ironer, and it was 
 amusing to see Hamilton sitting, day after day, 
 beside the table covered with heaps of linen, a 
 volume of Schiller on the philosophy of Herder 
 in his hand, reading aloud, in order (as he ex- 
 plained to Madame Rosenberg) to improve his 
 German accent, about which his family had 
 become very anxious of late, and from which he 
 concluded they had some hopes of placing him 
 at one of the German courts ; however, he did 
 not feel particularly interested on that subject, 
 nor, indeed, on anything that had reference to 
 the future ; he lived from day to day, reckoning 
 the time profitably or unprofitably spent, accord- 
 ing to its having been or not having been spent 
 in Hildegarde's society ; he might truly say with 
 Proteus of Verona
 
 Bn "GlnejpecteO flbecting. 275 
 
 " I leave myself, my friends, and all for love. 
 Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphosed me ; 
 Made me neglect my studies, lose my time, 
 War with good counsel, set the world at nought " 
 
 And three months passed like so many days, 
 and three more would have followed them in 
 blissful monotony, had not a circumstance, 
 trivial in itself, led in its consequences to an 
 abrupt termination of this mode of life, or waste 
 of life whichever the reader may consider it. 
 
 The Munich midsummer fair had commenced, 
 and Madame Rosenberg, not having found time 
 in one day to make her usual purchases, decided 
 upon going a second ; she put it off, however, 
 until the very last, and when the morning came 
 was suffering so much from headache that she 
 was obliged to remain at home. As they had 
 promised to dine at twelve o'clock with the 
 Major, she thought it better to send Hildegarde 
 and Gustle, and though at first she insisted that 
 they were to go in their grandfather's little old 
 carriage, she at length yielded to Hamilton's 
 remonstrances and entreaties, and after he had 
 passed a good half hour at her bedroom door, 
 making promises of the most varied description, 
 allowed them to drive with him, and be under 
 his care during the day. 
 
 Crescenz received them, as usual, with child- 
 ish delight ; her greatest pleasure on such occa- 
 sions was to astonish them with a variety of tarts 
 and sweetmeats, and they always found it difficult
 
 276 Gbe initials. 
 
 to get away. On this day it was easier, for she 
 intended to accompany them to the fair. Blazius 
 had insisted on her buying some new muslin 
 dresses, he was so thoughtful, and so generous ! 
 In fact, they were a very merry party ; for Major 
 Stultz had ceased to be jealous ; his wife now 
 really liked him, and was more obedient than a 
 child ; the thought of disputing his will had never 
 entered her mind, and she appealed to him in the 
 most infantine manner on every occasion, while, 
 captivated by her beauty and innocence, he was 
 invariably indulgent and generous almost to 
 prodigality. She assured her sister, therefore, 
 with the most perfect sincerity, as they walked 
 together through the fair, that she considered 
 herself the most fortunate woman in the world, 
 that she could never have been so happy with 
 anyone as with Major Stultz no, not even with 
 Mr. Hamilton Blazius had quite convinced her 
 of that ! 
 
 They loitered about nearly two hours, and 
 Hamilton, unutterably wearied, was slowly fol- 
 lowing Hildegarde, carrying her various little 
 parcels of ribbons and pins, until the arrival of 
 Hans with the carriage should relieve him, 
 when he was suddenly seized by both arms and 
 familiarly addressed by some persons behind him. 
 They were two of his nearest relations, passing 
 through Munich on their way home from Italy, 
 and were evidently more glad to see him than he 
 to see them.
 
 an TUnejpectefc /Reeling. 277 
 
 " Where have you been hiding yourself, Al- 
 fred ? We were at your supposed lodgings, and 
 no one could tell us anything about you. Any 
 letters left would be called for, they said, which 
 sounded very mysterious, as, had you left for 
 Vienna or Berlin, your letters would have been 
 forwarded sans fa$on, I suppose. Come, give an 
 account of yourself. I shall be asked a thousand 
 questions, you know, when I go home that is, if 
 you don't accompany us, which you might as well 
 do, all things considered, and Uncle Jack " 
 
 No, Hamilton had no intention of returning 
 home until the very last day of his leave of 
 absence had expired. 
 
 " Well, as we start in a day or two, you will 
 spend the evening with us at least ? " 
 
 At this moment Hans appeared, and said, " the 
 carriage was ready." Hamilton desired him to 
 wait at the termination of the booths, and then 
 turning to his companions said, with some embar- 
 rassment, " Spend the evening with you ! oh, of 
 course ; but I have promised to drive home a 
 lady who lives a little out of the town. 
 
 " Oh, there 's a lady, is there ? " 
 
 " Yes : she is at present with her sister, making 
 some purchases." 
 
 " Ah, perhaps these are also some of them ? " 
 cried one of his cousins, peeping with an affec- 
 tation of extreme care into one of the parcels ; 
 "ribbons, I declare, and hair-pins ! ergo, young 
 where is she ? "
 
 278 Gbe 1 nittals. 
 
 " I don't know," replied Hamilton, looking 
 down the row of booths, at one of which Hil- 
 degarde was standing. 
 
 " It 's that tall girl with the small waist, I 'm 
 certain." 
 
 " Well, it is that tall girl," said Hamilton, half 
 laughing ; " the sooner you let me go take her 
 home, the sooner I shall be back with you." 
 
 " Let him go, let him go," cried his other 
 cousin ; and Hamilton, with an impatient ges- 
 ture, walked quickly on, followed at a little dis- 
 tance by both. He took a hasty leave of Major 
 Stultz and Crescenz, and hurried Hildegarde to 
 the end of the fair. Just as they were seated in 
 the phaeton, and Hamilton was taking the reins 
 in his hand, his cousin called out, " Hollo, 
 Alfred ! you never asked where we were stopping. 
 I think you are going to give us the slip ! " 
 
 " You are at Havard's, I suppose," said Ham- 
 ilton, not in the least endeavouring to correct the 
 impatient movements of his horses. 
 
 " Yes. Wait a moment, I want to ask you a 
 question." 
 
 Hamilton bent down ; his face, by degrees be- 
 came crimson, and he glanced furtively at Hil- 
 degarde, as if he feared she might have overheard 
 the whisper ; but she, quite unconscious that so 
 many eyes were fixed upon her, was leaning back, 
 and absently twisting her purse round her fingers. 
 
 Hamilton drove off at a furious rate, but 
 scarcely were they out of the town, when, throw-
 
 Bn "dncipecteC* Meeting. 279 
 
 ing the reins to Hans, he stepped over the seat 
 and placed himself beside Hildegarde. 
 
 " I am surprised," she observed, with a smile, 
 " that you did not remain with your friends, and 
 send us home with Hans." 
 
 " It would have been the wisest thing I could 
 have done : it was confoundedly stupid, my not 
 thinking of doing so. Stop ! " he cried to Hans ; 
 but directly after, sinking back on his seat, he 
 added, " No go on," and then murmured, " it 
 is too late now. The best plan will be not to re- 
 turn. The less he knows, the less he can talk 
 about." 
 
 Hildegarde bent forward. " Talk about what ? " 
 she asked. 
 
 "You cannot understand," he answered, 
 quickly. 
 
 " No : I perceive I cannot. I have not the 
 most remote idea whether or not you were glad 
 to see these friends." 
 
 " They are my relations, my cousins ; and that 
 one who last spoke to me did you observe him? " 
 
 " Not particularly." 
 
 " That is Harry Waldcott, a great friend of my 
 brother John's, the most amusing, worthless, ex- 
 travagant fellow in the world. Were he to find 
 out where I am, he would come to the Iron Works 
 to-morrow, establish himself at the inn, use my 
 horses, abuse myself, laugh at your step-mother, 
 bully Mr. Eisenmann, and, for all I know, fall in 
 love with you ! "
 
 1Fnitial0. 
 
 " Dreadful person ! " cried Hildegarde, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 " As it is, he has seen enough too much, un- 
 fortunately, I think," he continued, with increas- 
 ing irritation of manner. " I think I hear his 
 exaggerations to my father, his- insinuations when 
 talking to my uncle ! No : he shall never know 
 where I am nothing shall tempt me into Munich 
 for a fortnight at least ! " 
 
 " You think, perhaps, that your father and 
 uncle would disapprove of your being at the 
 Iron Works ? " 
 
 " Think ! " cried Hamilton, " I am sure of it. 
 My father would say I was losing my time ; my 
 uncle, that I was making a fool of myself." 
 
 Neither of them spoke a word until they 
 reached home, and Hamilton was remarkably 
 thoughtful during the remainder of the evening. 
 
 The next day he was as cheerful as ever ; and 
 having from his window seen Hildegarde walking 
 towards the arbour with some paper and an ink- 
 stand in her hand, he took up the book they were 
 reading together, and followed her. She had just 
 finished making a pen when he entered, and 
 throwing it on the table, she leaned forward and 
 began, rather formally : 
 
 " Mr. Hamilton " 
 
 " Pray, call me Alfred I have long wished it, 
 and we are quite intimate enough to admit of 
 your doing so. I called you Hildegarde the first 
 month I was in your house."
 
 Sn TJlneipecteo /Reeling. 281 
 
 " It is perhaps an English custom," she said, 
 half inquiringly. 
 
 Hamilton did not answer. The fact was, at 
 the commencement of their acquaintance he had 
 considered both Hildegarde and her sister so 
 infinitely beneath him in rank that he had 
 almost immediately called them by their Chris- 
 tian names. 
 
 " I suppose," she continued, " if I know you 
 well enough to call you Alfred, I may venture to 
 say " 
 
 " You may venture to say anything you 
 please." 
 
 " Well, then Alfred I think the sooner you 
 leave us leave the Iron Works the better." 
 
 " Do you ? " he said, with a tolerably success- 
 ful effort to appear unconcerned. " I suppose 
 what I said yesterday, when I was vexed, has 
 made you come to this conclusion." 
 
 " Yes ; and though I cannot perceive that you 
 have exactly been making a fool of yourself, I 
 think it very evident that you have been losing 
 your time here." 
 
 " I wish I could lose the remainder of my life 
 in the same way. I have been immeasurably 
 happy lately." 
 
 "You said your cousin would exaggerate 
 would insinuate " 
 
 " Did you understand what I meant when I 
 said that ? " cried Hamilton, quickly. 
 
 " I believe I did ; and I half wished you had
 
 282 Gbe Unitials. 
 
 allowed him to come here, and see that he was 
 mistaken ; he would soon have perceived that 
 your friends have no cause for anxiety that 
 friendship alone exists between us." 
 
 " He would have seen no such thing, Hilde- 
 garde, at least as far as I am concerned, and that 
 you know as well as I do. That you have lim- 
 ited your measure of regard for me is a proof 
 of of no matter what ; I am most happy that 
 it is so." And Hamilton felt at that moment as 
 unhappy and indignant as he had ever been in 
 his life. 
 
 " Do you not think," said Hildegarde, bending 
 over the table, as she played with the pen, " do 
 you not think it would be better to leave us be- 
 fore you are ordered to do so ? " 
 
 " No," answered Hamilton, almost harshly. 
 
 " But," she continued, bending still lower, to 
 conceal her heightened color, " but suppose I 
 were not here, would you still remain ? " 
 
 " Can you doubt it ? " cried Hamilton, ironi- 
 cally. " How could I ever willingly quit this 
 tranquil retreat ? The pastoral beauties of these 
 grounds ! The society in every way so suited to 
 my tastes and habits ! The " 
 
 " Enough, enough ! " cried Hildegarde, seizing 
 her pen, and with burning cheeks, but steady 
 hand, she rapidly wrote a letter, while Hamilton, 
 standing at the entrance, watched her with an 
 odd mixture of anger and admiration. He 
 waited until she had signed her name, and then
 
 Bn TBneipectefc flReeting. 283 
 
 placing his hand on the paper, asked if the letter 
 concerned him. 
 
 " I might easily equivocate, and say no, as you 
 are neither directly nor indirectly mentioned in 
 it ; but that would not be the truth. The letter 
 is to Madame Hortense. I am now quite resolved 
 to leave this place," 
 
 " May I read it ? " 
 
 " If you insist " 
 
 He took the letter : it was in French, short 
 and forcibly written, as most letters are when 
 composed under the influence of excited feel- 
 ings. Hamilton's anger increased as he read ; 
 her proud determination of manner irritated him 
 beyond measure, and, ashamed of the agitation 
 which his trembling hands betrayed, he first 
 crushed and then tore it to pieces. 
 
 " My letter ! " cried Hildegarde, starting up 
 with all her former vehemence of manner. 
 
 "How dare you " she stopped and sat down, 
 
 breathing quickly and audibly. 
 
 " You are in a passion," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I was," she replied, taking a long breath ; 
 " it is over." 
 
 " Oh, no ; be angry, I entreat ; say do some- 
 thing outrageous or I can have no hope of for- 
 giveness. We have changed characters ; you 
 have learned to control your anger, and have me 
 now in your power ; be merciful ! " 
 
 " Rather tell me to be candid," she replied, 
 rising ; " writing that letter in your presence was
 
 284 ttbe ITnttfals. 
 
 an unnecessary display of self-control ; I was not 
 so calm as I wished you to suppose me." 
 
 " Well, you certainly are the most honour- 
 able " 
 
 " Don't praise me," she said, hastily ; " I can- 
 not listen to you when I am so dissatisfied with 
 myself. I fancied my temper was corrected ; I 
 find it has merely not been tried." 
 
 "Your temper is a very good one," said Ham- 
 ilton. " That you doubt yourself, and are on 
 your guard, is rather an advantage than other- 
 wise. I always have been considered so good- 
 tempered, that when I feel angry it never occurs 
 to me to conceal it, and the consequence is that 
 you have seen me forget myself more than once." 
 
 Just then Madame Rosenberg entered the 
 garden, holding a very diminutive note in her 
 hand. " I am come," she said, "to remind you 
 of a promise which you made to a lady, I hope 
 with the consent of her husband." 
 
 " I don't know any lady likely to remind me of 
 a promise, excepting, perhaps, Madame Berger." 
 
 " Exactly ; the Doctor will not be at home to- 
 morrow, and as the weather is so fine she proposes 
 spending the day here." 
 
 "Well," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Well, and Crescenz and the Major write to 
 know if you will take them also ia your phaeton 
 when you drive into Munich for Lina." 
 
 "Oh, certainly," said Hamilton, laughing ; it 
 was to Crescenz I made the offer, and it was
 
 2ln 'Clnejpecte& .flfceetinQ. 285 
 
 Madame Berger who accepted it. You may re- 
 member, Hildegarde, the beginning of the month, 
 when we all went to drink coffee at the Stultz's, 
 and had such excellent ices afterwards. I won- 
 der they did not say anything yesterday when we 
 were with them." 
 
 " I suppose," observed Madame Rosenberg, 
 " that they saw Lina after you left ; but at all 
 events you will go for them ? " 
 
 " Yes, and at a very early hour. 
 
 " Oh, of course," she cried, nodding her head 
 jokingly ; " that means at ten o'clock, I suppose." 
 
 " It means at five o'clock." 
 
 " Ah, bah ! as if you could get up at four ! " 
 
 "I can and will. Crescenz must give me 
 breakfast, and I hope to be out of Munich before 
 seven, for various reasons ! " 
 
 " The dust, perhaps ! " 
 
 " Dust or dirt," said Hamilton, carelessly. " If 
 Madame Berger cannot leave so early, we can 
 send Hans with the carriage at a later hour ; 
 though I would rather she would stay at home 
 as far as I am concerned." 
 
 " I cannot believe that," said Madame Rosen- 
 berg, " for I never saw you get on with anyone as 
 you do with her ; if I were the Doctor I would 
 not allow it." 
 
 " Nor I either, if I were the Doctor," said 
 Hamilton, laughing ; " but he is not, perhaps, 
 aware that her usual vivacity degenerates into 
 romping when she is here, and she is much too
 
 286 abe IFnttials. 
 
 young and much too pretty for anyone to expect 
 that I " 
 
 " Oh, after all there is no great harm ; you 
 only scamper about like a pair of children, but I 
 should not like to see either Crescenz or Hilde- 
 garde doing the same." 
 
 Hamilton looked at Hildegarde ; there was 
 something in the expression of her face which 
 made him imagine that she, perhaps, had not 
 quite approved of the scampering about of which 
 her mother spoke. 
 
 " Am I to write an answer to this note ? " she 
 asked, as she took it out of Madame Rosenberg's 
 hand. 
 
 Her mother nodded her head, and left the 
 garden. Hildegarde wrote, and Hamilton again 
 leaned against the entrance of the arbour and 
 looked in. 
 
 " Are you waiting for this letter too ? " she 
 asked, smiling. 
 
 " I was not thinking of it," he replied. " I 
 want to know if you, at least, believe that I would 
 rather Madame Berger did not come here to- 
 morrow ? " 
 
 Hildegarde began to scribble on the blotting 
 paper with great diligence. 
 
 "I see you do not believe me." 
 
 " I do, partly, especially if you think you must 
 be quieter than on former occasions, now that 
 mamma has remarked it. The fact is, I think 
 Lina altogether to blame, and I have often ad- 
 mired your forbearance."
 
 an "dneipecteO flfceeting. 287 
 
 " Thank you," cried Hamilton, " I am quite 
 satisfied now." 
 
 " Do not be quite satisfied with yourself," said 
 Hildegarde, " for I must tell you honestly that I 
 am quite disposed to be unjust to Lina ; more 
 than ready to put an unkind construction on all 
 she does or says." 
 
 " Why ? " asked Hamilton, with a blush of 
 pleasure, as a faint vision of the " green-eyed 
 monster " approaching Hildegarde floated before 
 his imagination. " Why ? " 
 
 " Because I dislike her. We waged war with 
 each other for nearly ten years." 
 
 " Ah, I remember, she told me you were rival 
 beauties at school." 
 
 "There was no rivalry on my part," said 
 Hildegarde quietly ; " I never hesitated to 
 acknowledge her beauty : it is of the most 
 captivating description, and even when she is 
 most disagreeable to me I admire her person." 
 
 " You dislike her mind her disposition, which 
 is so different from yours," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I cannot tolerate her want of truth and 
 honour ; her, to me, unfathomable cunning. In 
 one word, I despise her." 
 
 " You have been at no pains to conceal it," 
 observed Hamilton. 
 
 " There was no necessity," said Hildegarde, 
 beginning to fold up her note ; "but," she added, 
 " you must not let my opinion weigh with you ; 
 you know I have strong, and often unreasonable, 
 prejudices. At all events, Lina's faults are not
 
 288 abe initials. 
 
 of a description to prevent one from passing a 
 long summer's day very agreeably in their so- 
 ciety." 
 
 " She is certainly an amusing person," said 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " She is clever," said Hildegarde, gathering up 
 her writing materials to carry into the house ; " no 
 one can deny that she has intellect ; at school 
 there were few to be compared to her." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 THE EXPERIMENT. 
 
 T^HE morning was bright and still cool, though 
 * promising a sultry day, as Hamilton pre- 
 pared to leave the Iron Works. To the astonish- 
 ment of Madame Rosenberg, it was so early, 
 that she was obliged to wish him good-morning 
 from one of the windows, her nightcap yet on her 
 head. Hildegarde was standing before the 
 horses, giving them lumps of sugar, which they 
 had learned to expect from her, and looking so 
 fresh and beautiful that Hamilton began to 
 grudge the few hours which civility required him 
 to absent himself from her. Kneeling on the seat 
 of the phaeton, he looked up towards Madame 
 Rosenberg, and asked if it would not do just as 
 well if he sent the carriage with Hans ?
 
 ttbe Bjperiment. 289 
 
 "Lina Berger will never forgive you," she 
 answered from the window. 
 
 " Dear Crescenz will expect you to breakfast," 
 said Hildegarde, pushing away the head of one 
 of the horses which had been resting on her arm, 
 " I am sure she has already arranged all her 
 prettiest cups and saucers for you don't forget 
 to admire them." 
 
 Hamilton drove off. He found Crescenz not 
 only waiting for him, but with her head stretched 
 far out of the window, watching for his arrival. 
 She ran to meet him, exclaiming, " How good- 
 natured of you to come on so short a notice, and 
 so early too ! Blazius is not dressed he is so 
 lazy in the morning he never gets up until past 
 six ! We shall not wait breakfast for him, how- 
 ever. Which cup do you choose ? " 
 
 " I don't know," said Hamilton, thoughtfully. 
 " This is the largest, but that is the prettiest I 
 think I must have both, first this and afterwards 
 that one." 
 
 Crescenz laughed ; and between the history of 
 her cups, and a discussion about her new half- 
 mourning, the time passed until her husband made 
 his appearance to eat a hearty breakfast, for he 
 was quite as anxious as Hamilton to leave Munich 
 early, he so very much disliked both heat and 
 dust. They called for Madame Berger : she was 
 dressed in the very extreme of fashion, and 
 bounded lightly up to the seat beside Hamilton. 
 
 " Let me see how your horses can step out," 
 
 VOL. II. 19
 
 290 Gbe fnittals. 
 
 she cried, while leaning back to offer Crescenz 
 her little, tightly gloved hand. 
 
 Hamilton was quite willing to gratify her, his 
 horses ready to second him ; at that early hour 
 the road was but little encumbered by carts or 
 carriages, and past the few they met the phaeton 
 rolled with a velocity that made Madame Berger 
 laugh so heartily, that poor Crescenz's stifled 
 screams were for some time inaudible. At length 
 Major Stultz spoke : " Mr. Hamilton, may I beg 
 of you to drive a little slower Crescenz's nerves 
 are not in a state to bear " 
 
 " Why, good gracious, Crescenz ! " exclaimed 
 Madame Berger, " you don't mean to say you are 
 frightened ? Mr. Hamilton drives so well that 
 there is not the slightest danger." 
 
 " Oh, no ; I dare say not," said Crescenz. 
 
 " I should not be afraid," continued Madame 
 Berger, " if it were night, and pitch dark into the 
 bargain ! " 
 
 " How very courageous ! " observed Crescenz, 
 timidly. 
 
 In the meantime, Hamilton endeavoured to 
 " draw in his flowing reins," but 
 
 ' ' a generous horse 
 Shows most true courage when you check his course." 
 
 His horses were no longer to be restrained, 
 and their impatient springing and dancing 
 alarmed Crescenz more than ever. At length 
 she could endure it no longer ; and when little
 
 Bjperiment. 291 
 
 more than half way, insisted on getting out of the 
 phaeton ; and Hamilton had the mortification of 
 seeing her take her husband's arm, and with a 
 look of infinite relief, begin to walk off as fast as 
 she could. 
 
 "You always lead me into mischief of some 
 kind or other ! " cried Hamilton, provoked at 
 Madame Berger's laugh of derision. " I shall 
 keep out of your way as much as I can the rest 
 of this day ! " 
 
 "You will do no such thing," she answered, 
 saucily. "Those two fools trudging along the 
 road there only live for each other at present 
 Hildegarde will not talk to me, and I have not 
 the slightest intention of spending the day with 
 either Madame Rosenberg, who lectures me 
 about my duties towards the Doctor, or old Mr. 
 Eisenmann, who talks of nothing but cactuses 
 and iron ! If you don't mean to be civil to me, 
 turn back and leave me at home again." 
 
 " Civil ! oh, I have every intention of being 
 civil, but I would rather avoid such scenes as we 
 had the last day you were with us ; I was obliged 
 to explain and excuse - " 
 
 " And who has a right to demand an explana- 
 tion, I should like to know ? Hildegarde, per- 
 haps ? " 
 
 "No," answered Hamilton, colouring; "it 
 was Madame Rosenberg, who seemed to 
 think - " 
 
 " Never mind what she thinks, we mean no
 
 Initiate. 
 
 harm, and I do not see why we should not 
 amuse ourselves ; but I must tell you something 
 which I observed the last time I was with you 
 Hildegarde certainly does not like our being such 
 good friends ! " 
 
 " I don't think she cares." 
 
 " You don't know her as well as I do. With- 
 out particularly caring for you, she may in 
 fact she must, have become accustomed to your 
 attentions for who else have you to talk to ? 
 Now, any lessening of the homage one has been 
 used to is sure to irritate should you like to 
 make her jealous ? " 
 
 " Jealous ! " repeated Hamilton, and he thought 
 of what had occurred the day before in the gar- 
 den. Could he in anyway provoke her jealousy, 
 he should be able perhaps to judge of the state 
 of her feelings towards him ; if, as she professed, 
 but which he could not quite believe, friendship 
 was really all she felt for him, why then, the 
 magnanimous plans, the colossal sacrifices he 
 had lately so often meditated, would be thrown 
 away, and he might after all share the fate of 
 Zedwitz. Here was an opportunity of making 
 the trial, without committing either Hildegarde 
 or himself. The temptation was strong to make 
 the experiment, and he again repeated, very 
 thoughtfully, the word " Jealous ! " 
 
 " Yes, jealous ; jealous of your allegiance. 
 She will at first think I am to blame, but you 
 must show her the contrary. You "
 
 Gbe ^Experiment. 293 
 
 " Stay," cried Hamilton, " what will Madame 
 Rosenberg say ? " 
 
 " No matter what ; I shall give her no oppor- 
 tunity of lecturing me. She is too good-natured 
 to tell the Doctor, and Biedermann will never 
 hear any thing about the matter." 
 
 " Biedermann ? " 
 
 " Yes, Theodor ; he would be much more 
 angry than the Doctor, I suspect." 
 
 " But what right has he 
 
 " Oh, none in the world ; but, you see I have 
 got accustomed to his attentions, and cannot do 
 without them he is enormously prosy some- 
 times but then he loves me ; even when he is 
 scolding I can observe it, and attribute half his 
 lectures to jealousy. One likes a little sentiment 
 sometimes, you know, and once accustomed to 
 to these sort of petit soins, it is impossible to re- 
 sign them without an effort, of which I confess 
 I am incapable ; I should die of ennui." 
 
 "But," said Hamilton, "do you not think 
 there is danger in a connection of the kind ? " 
 
 " Danger ! not the least. He knows that I 
 loved him formerly in a foolish, girlish sort of 
 way, and had we been in England, I have no 
 doubt we should have gone off together, and 
 been miserable for life. The Doctor is a very 
 kind, indulgent husband, but he has not time to 
 be attentive, and as I have no family to occupy 
 my time, I require someone to talk to, and 
 amuse me. Theodor is well educated, clever,
 
 ftbe ITnittate. 
 
 honourable, and all the sermons of my relations 
 and friends together will not make me give him 
 up. The world may talk, and perhaps con- 
 demn me I care not, for I know that I never 
 have done, and never mean to do anything 
 wrong." 
 
 " And," said Hamilton, " if Biedermann were 
 to marry ? " 
 
 " Not very probable for many years ; but if he 
 were, I should find someone else. You, for in- 
 stance, would suit me very well, if you were 
 likely to remain here ; though I am afraid I 
 should find you troublesome." 
 
 " I am afraid you would," said Hamilton, as 
 he drew up his horses before the Iron Works. 
 
 Hildegarde ran out expecting to see her sister ; 
 her disappointment changed into surprise when 
 she heard what had occurred, and she said at 
 once that she would go to meet her. Perhaps 
 she expected Hamilton to accompany her, but 
 he either was, or pretended to be, too much 
 occupied with Madame Berger to hear what she 
 said, and she set out alone. 
 
 More than an hour elapsed before Crescenz, 
 Major Stultz, and Hildegarde appeared, all a 
 good deal overheated, for the day had already 
 become warm. They joined the others in the 
 garden, and began to saunter up and down the 
 narrow gravel walks, or to seek the shade under 
 the apple-trees in the orchard. Mr. Eisenmann 
 immediately gathered a bunch of fresh roses for
 
 tTbc Experiment. 295 
 
 Crescenz, and Madame Berger, turning to Ham- 
 ilton, desired him to bring her some also. 
 
 " I don't know whether or not I can obey 
 you," he answered, laughing ; " I have been for- 
 bidden to pull flowers without leave, ever since 
 the day I beheaded some scores of roses with my 
 riding- whip." 
 
 " Your punishment is at an end," said Hilde- 
 garde, smiling : " I am glad to perceive you have 
 not forgotten it " ; and, as she spoke, she pulled 
 a half-blown rose and gave it to him. 
 
 " Ah ! that is just the one I was wishing to 
 have," cried Madame Berger, holding out her 
 hand. 
 
 " You shall have another, but not this one," 
 said Hamilton. 
 
 " That, and no other," cried Madame Berger ; 
 and after some laughing and whispering, he gave 
 her the flower. 
 
 Hildegarde was surprised, although, by a sort 
 of tacit agreement, she and Hamilton usually 
 avoided any exhibition of their intimacy or 
 friendship when Madame Berger was present ; 
 the latter continued, " I have an odd taste, per- 
 haps, but my favourite flower is the common 
 scarlet geranium. I do not see one here." 
 
 " The only plant I had," said Mr. Eisenmann, 
 " I gave to Hildegarde, and she gave it to Ham- 
 ilton to put on his flower-stand." 
 
 " Oh, if it belongs to you," said Madame Ber- 
 ger, with a light laugh, " I must have a branch
 
 296 Gbe flntttals. 
 
 of it directly, " and she bounded into the house 
 as she spoke. 
 
 " This is too much," cried Hamilton, running 
 after her. A minute or two afterwards a violent 
 scream was heard from his room, of which both 
 windows were open. 
 
 " Shall we go and see what has happened ? " 
 whispered Crescenz to her sister. 
 
 " No, it is better to leave them alone." 
 
 " Lina is growing worse and worse every day," 
 said Crescenz. " Blazius does not at all like my 
 being with her, since people have begun to talk 
 so much about her." 
 
 " What do people talk about ? " 
 
 " They say that Mr. Biedermann is now con- 
 stantly with her ; never out of the house. In 
 fact " 
 
 At this moment Hans ran past them towards a 
 shed, at the end of the orchard, where garden 
 utensils and flower-pots were kept, and having 
 taken one of the latter, was returning to the 
 house, when Crescenz asked what had happened. 
 
 " I don't exactly know, ma'am ; I believe Mr. 
 Hamilton put a geranium on the top of the ward- 
 robe, and Madame Berger, in trying to take it 
 down, let it fall, and it is broken to pieces." 
 
 " The pot or the plant ? " asked Hildegarde. 
 
 " Both, I believe, mademoiselle," answered 
 Hans, hurrying into the house. 
 
 " How long is she likely to remain with him 
 up-stairs ? " asked Crescenz.
 
 tTbe XSipedment. 29? 
 
 " Until dinner-time, perhaps," answered Hilde- 
 garde, carelessly ; " he has got a number of 
 paintings on china and new books to amuse her. 
 But now you must come and see what a quantity 
 of work I have done lately ; you have no idea 
 how useful I can be ; even mamma praises me 
 sometimes ! " 
 
 The afternoon amusement was, as usual, a 
 walk in the oak wood. Hamilton and Madame 
 Berger soon wandered away from the sisters, and 
 after waiting for their return more than an hour 
 near the little chapel, Hildegarde and Crescenz 
 began to walk home. "Well, Hildegarde, what 
 do you think of this ? " asked the latter, looking 
 inquiringly at her sister's grave countenance. 
 
 " Nothing," she replied quietly. 
 
 " So Blazius was quite mistaken, it seems ; he 
 said that Mr. Hamilton has long liked you, and 
 that you were beginning to like him." 
 
 " He was quite right," said Hildegarde, " we 
 do like each other very much, especially since 
 my father's death ; he was so very kind at that 
 time." 
 
 " Blazius said it was more than mere liking. 
 Now if you cared for him as Blazius supposed, 
 his conduct to-day must vex you, you could not 
 help feeling jealous." 
 
 " I have no right." 
 
 " Oh, one never thinks of right on such occa- 
 sions," said Crescenz, smiling ; " I remember the 
 time I used to suffer tortures whenever he whis-
 
 ftbe tfnitials. 
 
 pered and laughed with Lina. There was a 
 time, too, when I could not have endured his pre- 
 ferring you to me, but now " 
 
 " Now ? " repeated Hildegarde, inquiringly. 
 
 " Now, I don't think about him, and I like 
 Blazius so much that I never think of comparing 
 them. Mr. Hamilton is certainly very handsome, 
 but, as Blazius says, one gets so accustomed to 
 good looks, that at last it makes no impression at 
 all. By the by, how improved Peppy is since 
 he has been in the country," she added, as the 
 child ran to meet her ; " I declare he will be 
 quite as handsome as Fritz it is impossible not 
 to like such noble-looking creatures. I must say 
 they are both a thousand times more lovable 
 than Gustle, who promises to be extremely plain, 
 and not in the least like either of us." 
 
 Hildegarde smiled at the discrepancy between 
 the commencement and end of her sister's speech, 
 but took no notice of it, and they spent the rest 
 of the day in the arbour, talking over their school 
 adventures, Crescenz house affairs, and Hilde- 
 garde's plans for the future. 
 
 Hamilton and Madame Berger did not return 
 until just before supper-time ; they entered into 
 no explanation, and made no excuses ; the latter 
 merely observed, when arranging her hair in Hil- 
 degarde's room, " I really never spent a pleas- 
 anter day ; Mr. Hamilton is positively charming 
 quite a love. I must not forget to wear the 
 wreath of ivy he took such trouble to choose for
 
 tTbe Bjpeciment 299 
 
 me," and, while speaking, she twisted a long 
 light branch with its deep green leaves among 
 the tresses of her fair hair, and pushing back 
 with both hands the mass of ringlets which cov- 
 ered her face, bestowed a glance of satisfied 
 vanity on the looking-glass, and flourishing her 
 pocket handkerchief left the room. 
 
 " I never saw Lina look so pretty as she does 
 to-day," observed Hildegarde. 
 
 " And do you really not feel angry with her ? " 
 asked Crescenz, as she put her arm around her 
 sister's waist, and they began to descend the 
 stairs together. 
 
 " Angry with her for having taken a long walk 
 with Mr. Hamilton ? " 
 
 " Ah, bah ! you know very well what I mean." 
 
 " No, dear Crescenz, I am not in the least 
 angry," whispered Hildegarde, with a gay laugh, 
 as she entered the room where the others were 
 just placing themselves at table. Hamilton looked 
 up, and beheld her clear brow and cheerful 
 smile with painful uncertainty ; Madame Berger 
 bent towards him, and whispered "You were 
 right." 
 
 " How ? when ? " 
 
 " She does not care a straw for you. I never 
 believed it until to-day." 
 
 Hamilton bit his lip, and slightly frowned. 
 
 " Oh, don't be annoyed about it ; you cannot 
 expect to succeed with all the world, you know. 
 I suppose, having nothing else to do here, you
 
 300 tlbe Ifmtfals. 
 
 have given yourself some trouble to please her, 
 and it is disagreeable to find one's self mistaken ; 
 but you may remember I told you long ago that 
 she would exact a kind of love which few men 
 are capable of feeling ; a sort of immaculate de- 
 votion, not to be expected from your sex, now 
 that the times of knighthood are passed. She 
 will never, in these degenerate days, find anyone 
 to love her as she imagines she deserves." 
 
 " And yet," said Hamilton, " she has so little 
 personal vanity." 
 
 " That I consider one of her greatest defects. 
 What is a woman without personal vanity? 
 Avoid during the rest of your life all who have 
 not, at least, a moderate quantity of it ; without 
 it we are abnormous, unnatural, and it is impos- 
 sible to know how to manage us." 
 
 " You have really given me a great deal of 
 information to-day," said Hamilton, laughing ; 
 " a few walks with you, and I should become a 
 perfect tactician." 
 
 "If you choose, however, to try Hildegarde 
 further," said Madame Berger, "you must man- 
 age it yourself. She may think you now, for all 
 I know, a victim to my arts and wiles, and more 
 worthy of pity than anger." 
 
 Partly from pique, partly because he was 
 amused, Hamilton devoted himself altogether to 
 Madame Berger for the rest of the evening. He 
 drew his chair beside hers after supper, and they 
 continued together in the little dark parlor, even
 
 Experiment. 301 
 
 after all the family had withdrawn to enjoy the 
 long warm July evening in the garden. 
 
 It was almost night when Crescenz came 
 timidly into the room, and in an embarrassed 
 manner said that she was too much afraid of Mr. 
 Hamilton's horses to drive home with him, and 
 that Mr. Eisenmann had offered his carriage - 
 
 " His cart, my dear, you mean," said Madame 
 Berger, interrupting her, without moving a feature 
 of her face. " I recommend you to have a few 
 bars of iron laid at the back, the horses will be 
 all the quieter ; they are accustomed to the 
 sound, you know." 
 
 " I I thought," said Crescenz, " that you 
 would, perhaps, prefer going home with me 
 instead - " 
 
 " Oh, not at all, my dear ; I would not sepa- 
 rate you and Major Stultz for the world ; besides, 
 I am not in the least afraid either of Mr. Hamil- 
 ton or his horses. You see," she added, turning 
 to Hamilton, " I take it for granted that you will 
 leave me at home." 
 
 " Of course. I am only sorry," said Hamilton 
 to Crescenz, " that you will not go with us ; I 
 can almost promise that the horses will be quieter 
 than in the morning." 
 
 " Thank you," said Crescenz, rather stiffly, 
 "but even if they were I should now decline 
 your offer, as Lina has shown so plainly that she 
 does not wish for my company, or, indeed, for 
 anyone's excepting yours."
 
 302 Ebc Unittals. 
 
 " I am overpowered at the severity of your 
 remarks," cried Madame Berger, catching her 
 arm, with a light laugh ; " how fortunate that 
 the darkness hides my blushes. I say, Cressy," 
 she added, in a lower voice, " is it for yourself 
 or for Hildegarde that you have entered the 
 lists ? " 
 
 " I I don't understand you," said Crescenz, 
 releasing her arm, and hurrying out of the room. 
 
 " Order your carriage," said Madame Berger, 
 turning back for a moment to Hamilton : " order 
 your carriage as soon as possible, or I shall get a 
 lecture from Madame Rosenberg, and I am not 
 in a humour for anything of the kind just now." 
 
 The carriages were at the door together. 
 " Hans may drive," cried Hamilton, springing 
 into the phaeton after Madame Berger ; and as 
 long as they were in sight he seemed to be 
 wholly occupied with the arrangement of her 
 shawl. 
 
 " Hildegarde ! Hildegarde ! where have you 
 hidden yourself?" cried Madame Rosenberg, 
 about an hour afterwards, and a voice from the 
 very end of the orchard answered, " Here, mam- 
 ma, I am coming directly ; " but even while 
 speaking, Hildegarde turned again, and with 
 folded arms and lingering steps continued her 
 sentinel-like walk. 
 
 The next day Hamilton felt very uncertain 
 whether or not he had acted wisely. Hildegarde 
 was so upright and free from coquetry herself
 
 Gbe ^Experiment. 303 
 
 that he feared she would not easily understand 
 his motives were he, in exculpation, to explain 
 them ; and even if he made them evident, she 
 would condemn them. He met Madame Rosen- 
 berg on his way to breakfast ; heard the half- 
 joking, half-serious expostulations he had ex- 
 pected, and replied to them as usual, with a 
 mixture of petulance and impertinence. 
 
 He approached Hildegarde, hoping sincerely 
 that he should find her angry, or at least offended, 
 but all his efforts to discover anything of the 
 kind failed ; she was, perhaps, a little less cheer- 
 ful than usual, but not enough to admit of his 
 questioning her. Before dinner she received a 
 letter ; the handwriting was unknown to him, 
 but though burning with curiosity to know from 
 whom it came when he saw her unusual trepida- 
 tion on receiving it, he dared not ask her, though 
 he would not have hesitated to have done so the 
 day before. In the afternoon, when he ex- 
 pected her to walk, she sent Gustle to tell him 
 that she had a long letter to write, and could not 
 go out. The next few days she chose to assist 
 her mother in preserving fruit, and then appeared 
 an interminable quantity of needlework to be 
 done. Hamilton felt the change which had 
 taken place in their intercourse without being 
 able to cavil at it. He felt that he was to blame, 
 but he nevertheless got out of patience, and 
 began to drive into Munich every day. No one 
 seemed to think he could be better employed,
 
 304 $be flnttials. 
 
 and many and various were the commissions 
 given him by different members of the family. 
 
 One day, just as he was telling Hildegarde that 
 he should not return until late at night, as he in- 
 tended to go to the opera, Madame Rosenberg 
 entered the room ; she held in her hand a silver 
 hair-pin of curious filagree work, and exclaimed 
 rather triumphantly, " Well, here is Lina Berger's 
 silver pin, after all ; not found in the garden, 
 where she said she lost it, but in your room, 
 under the wardrobe. Monica saw it when she 
 was scouring the floor." 
 
 " Very likely," said Hamilton ; " Madame 
 Berger mounted a chair to get at my scarlet ger- 
 anium, which I hoped to have placed out of her 
 reach on the top of the wardrobe ; by making a 
 spring she caught the flower-pot, but descended 
 on the edge of the chair, which fell with her to the 
 ground. I was greatly alarmed, as after the first 
 scream of fright she became unusually quiet, and 
 although she said she was not hurt, she lay on 
 the sofa without moving or opening her eyes long 
 after I had transplanted my poor geranium, and 
 mourned over it," he added, looking towards 
 Hildegarde. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg laughed. " That was a 
 trick to prevent you from scolding her about the 
 plant, which she saw you rather valued." 
 
 " Perhaps it was," said Hamilton, colouring, 
 " and I never suspected it." 
 
 " Well you can tell her your present suspicions
 
 Cbe JEjperimcnt. 305 
 
 to-day when you give her the hair-pin, you 
 know " ; and she held it towards him as she spoke. 
 
 " I never go to Madame Berger's," said Ham- 
 ilton, and he was glad to be able to say so, " but 
 if you choose to give it to Hans, he can leave it 
 at her house when I go to the theatre." 
 
 " Hildegarde, make a little parcel of it, and 
 write her a line," said Madame Rosenberg. 
 
 Hildegarde took her brother Gustle's pen, and 
 on a leaf of his copy-book wrote her a few severe 
 words, which not even the usual " dear Lina," or 
 the schoolfellow tutoiment could soften. 
 
 Hamilton smiled, and unconsciously pulled his 
 glove towards his wrist until he tore it. " These 
 are the worst gloves I have ever had," he cried, 
 impatiently throwing them on the table ; " that 
 is the second pair I have spoiled to-day." 
 
 " The gloves seem to be very good," observed 
 Madame Rosenberg, taking them up, " and as 
 they are a very pretty colour, Hildegarde may as 
 well mend them for you, but while she is doing 
 so you must seal and direct this parcel to Lina," 
 and leaving them thus employed she walked out 
 of the room. 
 
 " Permit me," said Hamilton, half jestingly, a 
 few minutes afterwards, as Hildegarde returned 
 him the gloves, " Permit me to kiss your hand " ; 
 and then he added, " this seals our reconciliation 
 I hope?" 
 
 " We have had no quarrel, and require none," 
 answered Hildegarde. 
 
 VOL. II. 20
 
 306 Gbe Initials. 
 
 " Yet you have been displeased angry with 
 me have you not ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " I have had no cause I have no right " 
 
 " But you know what I mean ? " 
 
 " I think I do," replied Hildegarde, half smil- 
 ing, and quite blushing. 
 
 " And what did you suppose were my motives ? 
 What did you think of me ? " 
 
 " I thought, after all your professions of regard 
 for me, you might have waited until you reached 
 England before you began a new flirtation." 
 
 " Then you were a little a very little jealous, 
 perhaps ? " 
 
 " I think not I hope not," said Hildegarde, 
 quickly, "for it would be very absurd, most 
 ridiculous. In fact," she added, frankly, " I did 
 not care how much you devoted yourself to 
 Lina, until I perceived that you wished me to 
 observe it." 
 
 " I did wish you to observe it. I hoped to 
 have elicited some spark of feeling from you in 
 that way, after having failed in all others." 
 
 " And Lina Berger was the person chosen as 
 assistant as confidant, perhaps?" 
 
 " I had nothing to confide. I have never made 
 any secret of my feelings towards you." 
 
 " So you wished to show Lina Berger and 
 everyone else what you supposed were my feel- 
 ings towards you ? It was an ungenerous inten- 
 tion, Mr. Hamilton, all things considered, as any 
 weakness on my part would have merely served
 
 Gbe Experiment. 307 
 
 to give you a useless triumph ; but," she added, 
 with heightened colour, " I am not offended, not 
 in the least angry with you or jealous ; and for 
 the short time we are likely to be now together, 
 I hope we may be as good friends as we have 
 been for the last few months. The whole affair 
 is really not worth talking about." 
 
 " I hope, however, you do me the justice to 
 believe me perfectly indifferent to Madame 
 Berger ? " 
 
 " About as indifferent as she is towards you. 
 You flatter each other, and vanity draws you 
 together." 
 
 " And you do not mind our being drawn 
 together ? " 
 
 "Not in the least," said Hildegarde, com- 
 posedly. 
 
 " I believe you, I believe you. I am thoroughly 
 convinced of your indifference, and require no 
 further proof. I am sorry for it, but perhaps it 
 is all for the best." At the door he turned back, 
 and added, "We have not quarrelled, Hilde- 
 garde ? we are friends at least ? " 
 
 " Friends ! oh, certainly, though ever so far 
 apart," answered Hildegarde, with a forced smile. 
 " One so poor in friends as I am grasps even at 
 the name." 
 
 Hamilton noiselessly closed the door, and she 
 bent over her work until some large tears began 
 to drop on it, and a choking feeling in her throat 
 induced her to go to the open window, where
 
 308 Gbe Unttiate. 
 
 she leaned out as far as the numerous plants 
 would permit, and gazed long into the orchard 
 without distinguishing a single object that lay 
 before her. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE RECALL. 
 
 A BOUT a fortnight after the foregoing events, 
 ** as Hamilton was one morning sitting list- 
 lessly in the arbour at the end of the garden, Hilde- 
 garde came towards him carrying a large packet 
 of letters, which Hans had just brought from 
 Munich. As she placed herself beside him he 
 looked at the different handwritings, and mur- 
 mured, " My sister Helen my father John, 
 and from Uncle Jack, too ! With what different 
 feelings should I have received these letters a 
 short time ago ! Don't go away, Hildegarde ; I 
 have no intention of making you any reproaches 
 or speeches, and I may, perhaps, want your 
 advice about fixing the day of my departure." 
 
 She sat down on the steps leading into the 
 arbour, leaned her elbow on her knee and her 
 head in her hands, and remained perfectly im- 
 movable for more than half an hour. She was 
 not musing on the past, or thinking of the future ; 
 she heard her heart beat distinctly, and would, 
 perhaps, have endeavoured to count its throbs 
 had she not felt irresistibly compelled to listen to
 
 Gbe TRecaH. 309 
 
 a most inharmonious and lamentable ditty sung 
 by the cook as she scoured her kitchen furniture 
 near an open window. Some vague ideas of the 
 happiness of those whose thoughts never soar 
 beyond the polishing of pots and pans, or the 
 concocting of meats within them, floated through 
 her mind ; and then appeared a vision of a nun- 
 nery garden, with very green grass and long 
 gravel walks ; and then Hamilton rustled the 
 paper of his letters, and she expected him to 
 speak, and when he did not she again listened to 
 the monotonous song, and wondered if it had 
 no end. 
 
 The song continued, but she ceased to hear it, 
 for Hamilton spoke at length, and she turned 
 round to answer him. 
 
 " These letters contain the recall I have been 
 expecting," he said, folding them up, " and also 
 a large sum of money for my journey, more, 
 much more than I shall require ; my Uncle 
 measures my expenses by my brother's. In short, 
 neither he nor any of my family have in the least 
 degree comprehended my position here ; their 
 
 ignorance would shock you " He stopped, 
 
 evidently embarrassed. His uncle's letter 
 would, indeed, have shocked her ; he had offered 
 to send Hamilton any sum of money necessary to 
 buy off the claims which Hildegarde or her family 
 might have upon him. 
 
 "I suppose," said Hildegarde, "they expect 
 you home directly."
 
 310 Gbe Initials. 
 
 " They rather wish me to visit the Z 's, as 
 
 they have become acquainted lately with some of 
 their connections." 
 
 " And you intend to do so ? " 
 
 " Yes, I have no particular wish to return home 
 directly, though I see they expect me in about a 
 fortnight or three weeks." 
 
 " In that 'case you will have to leave us soon 
 very soon." 
 
 " How soon ? " asked Hamilton, endeavouring 
 to catch a glimpse of her face, which was, per- 
 haps purposely, averted. 
 
 " You are the best judge of that," she answered, 
 rising from her lowly seat ; " if leaving us be dis- 
 agreeable to you, the sooner you get over it the 
 better." 
 
 " It is more than disagreeable it is painful to 
 me." He paused, and then added, hastily, " I 
 shall take your advice and leave to-morrow." 
 More than a minute he waited for her to speak 
 again, one word or one look might at that 
 moment have changed all his plans, but finding 
 that she remained silent, he slowly gathered up 
 his letters, and walked thoughtfully into the 
 house. 
 
 Madame Rosenberg talked more than enough ; 
 she thought it necessary to put the whole house 
 in commotion, and was so anxious to prove to 
 him that all his clothes were in order, that she 
 followed him to his room, and actually herself 
 packed all his portmanteaux and cases ; she then
 
 tTbe TCecall. 31* 
 
 seated herself on one of the former, and began 
 to question him about what he intended to do 
 with Hans, the horses, and phaeton. 
 
 " I shall take Hans to England with me, and 
 leave the horses at Munich to be sold. I dare 
 say Stultz will take the trouble of looking after 
 them for me." 
 
 " Dear me, how surprised he will be and 
 Crescenz and Lina Berger. Really, the whole 
 thing is so unexpected, that one has no time to 
 think, or feel, or understand " 
 
 " That is just what I wished," said Hamilton ; 
 " I hope not to have time to think or feel, for I 
 leave your house most unwillingly, but leave it 
 I must, as my father and uncle expect me home 
 
 in a week or two, and I am going first to the 
 v > c " 
 
 I-i 3. 
 
 " Pray give the Baroness my compliments," 
 said Madame Rosenberg ; " it was very civil of 
 her taking the children home that evening, you 
 know." 
 
 Hamilton remembered the evening, but he 
 thought it was very probable he should forget the 
 compliments. 
 
 "Sorry as I am to lose you,"- continued Ma- 
 dame Rosenberg, " I must say I think your re- 
 lations are right to insist on your return ; as my 
 father said yesterday, a young man with your 
 capabilities being allowed to waste your time as 
 you have been doing, is perfectly incomprehen- 
 sible."
 
 312 Gbe tTnitials. 
 
 " My object was to learn German, and I have 
 learned it," said Hamilton. 
 
 " It would have been better for you if Hilde- 
 garde and Crescenz had not spoken French so 
 well. My father says, too, you speak English 
 now with Hildegarde ; I 'm sure I don't know 
 how she learned it. I never could learn French, 
 though I have often tried, and I am not a stupid 
 person in other things. I 'm very glad, however, 
 that she has learned English, though I formerly 
 thought it unnecessary. Four languages for a 
 girl not yet eighteen is pretty well, as poor dear 
 Franz used to say, and " 
 
 " Four languages," repeated Hamilton ; " what 
 is the fourth ? " 
 
 " Why, do you not know that she speaks and 
 writes Italian quite as well as French ? Made- 
 moiselle Hortense is a half Italian, and she 
 spared no pains in teaching her, most fortunately, 
 as it has turned out, for the lady with whom she 
 is likely to be placed particularly requires Italian, 
 as she is going to Italy next year." 
 
 " So Hildegarde is to leave you also ? " 
 
 " Yes. I was at first very unwilling, and, in- 
 deed, should not have consented were I still in 
 Munich ; but, you see, here she is never likely 
 to marry, and after her sister has made such an 
 excellent match, she would not be satisfied with 
 our Forster, Mr. Weidmann, I am afraid." 
 
 " I should think not," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Now, as she is certainly remarkably hand-
 
 "Recall. 313 
 
 some," continued Madame Rosenberg, " and 
 within the last year greatly improved, too, I 
 should not at all wonder if, at Frankfort or 
 Florence she were to pick up someone " 
 
 "Not at all unlikely," observed Hamilton. 
 
 " Or if old Count Zedwitz were to die, perhaps 
 his son might again " 
 
 Hamilton began to stride up and down the 
 room with unequivocal signs of irritation. 
 
 " I see all this is uninteresting to you," said 
 Madame Rosenberg, placing her hands on her 
 knees to assist her in rising from her low, 
 unsteady seat. " How can I expect you to care 
 who she marries, or where she goes, or, indeed, 
 what becomes of any of us now ? In a few weeks 
 you will have forgotten us altogether ! " 
 
 " How little you know me ! " cried Hamilton, 
 taking her hand as she was passing him ; " I 
 shall never forget you, or the happy days passed 
 in your house, and am so sincerely attached to 
 you and all your family, that nothing will give 
 me greater pleasure than hearing of or from you. 
 I shall leave you my address in London, and hope 
 that you, and your father, and the children, will 
 often write to me. When Fritz comes home for 
 the holidays I shall expect a long letter, not 
 written from a copy, and in his best handwriting, 
 but unrestrained, and telling me everything about 
 you all." 
 
 " Well, I really believe you do like us," cried 
 Madame Rosenberg, the tears starting to her
 
 3H ftbe ITnitiats. 
 
 eyes ; " but, after all, not as well as we like you ; 
 and now, I think I had better leave you, or else 
 I shall make an old fool of myself." 
 
 Hamilton's hours that day were winged ; they 
 flew past uneasily, like birds before an approach- 
 ing storm. The afternoon, evening, and night 
 came ; Mr. Eisenmann dozed, Madame Rosen- 
 berg inspected her sleeping children, and Hilde- 
 garde and Hamilton for the first time sat gravely 
 and silently beside each other ; neither of them 
 had courage to attempt the mockery of uncon- 
 cerned conversation ; each equally feared a 
 betrayal of weakness, and it was a relief to both 
 when the time for moving arrived. Mr. Eisen- 
 mann retired quietly to his room on the ground 
 floor ; Madame Rosenberg, after wishing Hamil- 
 ton good-night, took the house-keys out of the 
 cupboard and commenced her usual nightly ex- 
 amination of all the windows and doors. Ham- 
 ilton sprang up the stairs, and watched at the 
 door of his chamber until he heard Hildegarde 
 separate from her mother and begin to ascend ; 
 he waited until she had deposited her candle and 
 work-basket on the table in her room, and as she 
 afterwards advanced to close the door, he called 
 her out on the lobby, and said, hurriedly, " Hilde- 
 garde, I shall have no opportunity of speaking to 
 you alone to-morrow, and must take advantage 
 of this to ask you to forgive and forget all my 
 faults and failings." 
 
 " I cannot remember any," said Hildegarde.
 
 (Tbe "Recall. 315 
 
 " You say so, but I know you think that I 
 endeavoured to gain your affections without any 
 fixed purpose. That is true I mean, this was 
 true until lately but that is of no importance 
 now. Then, I must confess I I was not sorry 
 for the unpleasant termination of the affair with 
 Zedwitz. I now, too, see that I ought not to 
 have come here with you, still less should I have 
 endeavoured to make you jealous or " 
 
 " Oh, I give you absolution for all," cried 
 Hildegarde, interrupting him, "and hope you 
 will endeavour to forget how often you have seen 
 me impatient or in a passion." 
 
 " I have already forgotten it, and wish I could 
 forget everything else besides that has occurred 
 during the last eleven months. We have been 
 eleven months together, have we not ? " 
 
 "I believe so," answered Hildegarde, thought- 
 fully. " It appears to me much longer ; my life 
 has been so different from what it was before 
 that time, I feel almost as if I had known you 
 eleven years." 
 
 The sound of closing doors no longer distant 
 made Hamilton whisper anxiously, " I shall not 
 find it easy to part from you with becoming 
 firmness before so many witnesses to-morrow, 
 Hildegarde ; still less should I have courage to 
 entreat you once more to accept the little watch 
 which you so unkindly returned to me last 
 Christmas. Will you again refuse it ? " 
 
 " No," she replied, " although I should have
 
 316 abe tfnitials. 
 
 greatly preferred something of less value ; I only 
 wish I had something to bestow in return ; but 
 I have nothing, absolutely nothing." 
 
 " Stay," said Hamilton, with some hesitation, 
 "you have something which you value highly, 
 though I do not know why ; a little mysterious 
 bauble, which I should like to possess." 
 
 " Name it, and it is yours," said Hildegarde, 
 eagerly. 
 
 He placed his finger on the hair bracelet which 
 she constantly wore. 
 
 " Ah ! my bracelet ! " cried Hildegarde, with 
 a look of surprise, " if you wish for it, certainly ; 
 in fact it is better." She held her arm towards the 
 door of her room, that the light from the candle 
 might fall on it, and Hamilton thought he saw 
 tears in her eyes as she endeavoured to unclasp it. 
 
 " I only value it because you appear so attached 
 to it," he said, half apologetically. " Before it 
 comes into my possession, however, you must tell 
 me whose hair I am about to guard so carefully 
 for the rest of my life ; not Mademoiselle Hor- 
 tense's I hope." 
 
 " No," said Hildegarde, holding it towards 
 him. 
 
 " Tell me whose hair it is ! " he cried eagerly, 
 for Madame Rosenberg's heavy step, and the 
 jingling of her large keys became every moment 
 more audible. As she approached the staircase, 
 he again repeated, " Whose hair?" but Hildegarde, 
 instead of answering, sprang into her room just
 
 ilbe TRecall. 317 
 
 as a long ray of light from her mother's can- 
 dle reached the spot where they stood. Madame 
 Rosenberg found Hamilton's door shut, and Hil- 
 degarde on her knees beside her bed, with her 
 head buried in her hands. 
 
 And Hamilton never suspected that the brace- 
 let he examined so long and earnestly that night 
 was made of his own hair, obtained at the time 
 he had been wounded in the head, by the fall 
 from, or rather with, his horse. 
 
 The whole family were assembled at an early 
 hour the next morning to witness his departure. 
 Madame Rosenberg unreservedly applied her 
 handkerchief to her eyes ; her father looked 
 grave ; the two little boys, half frightened at the 
 unusual solemnity of the breakfast table, whis- 
 pered and nudged each other, while Hildegarde, 
 pale as the wife of Seneca, was apparently the 
 only unmoved person present. 
 
 Hamilton took leave of all the workmen and 
 servants, shook hands with Mr. Eisenmann, was 
 kissed in the most maternal manner on both 
 cheeks by Madame Rosenberg, embraced the 
 little boys, and held Hildegarde's hand in his 
 just long enough to cause a transient blush to 
 pass over her features and make her look like 
 herself. 
 
 After he had driven off, he turned round in the 
 carriage to take a last look, and it seemed to him 
 as if her beautiful features had turned to marble, 
 so cold and statue-like were they. Madame
 
 3*8 Gbe initials. 
 
 Rosenberg was returning into the house, talking 
 to her cook ; the old man was gayly playing with 
 the children ; Hildegarde stood alone, motion- 
 less, on the spot where he had left her. 
 " Is that indifference ? " thought Hamilton. 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 HOHENFELS. 
 
 TT was late on the evening of the ensuing day 
 when Hamilton reached Hohenfels, a moder- 
 ate-sized, high-roofed dwelling-house, having 
 two dark-coloured massive square towers as 
 wings. It was beautifully situated on the side of 
 a rocky mountain, from which circumstance it 
 probably derived its name. Avenue there was 
 none ; the narrow private road which conducted 
 to it (though passing through woods with open 
 glades, which, even without their splendid moun- 
 tain background, would have successfully rivalled 
 any avenue Hamilton had ever seen in England) 
 was evidently intended to serve equally as an 
 approach to several comfortable peasants' houses, 
 which, apparently, more than the genius of an 
 engineer, had originally directed its course. 
 
 The buildings, at a little distance from Hohen- 
 fels, Hamilton now instinctively knew to be a 
 brewery and its appendages, and he examined 
 them with less curiosity, but infinitely more in-
 
 Dobenfels. 319 
 
 terest, than on a former occasion. If he did not 
 quite consider beer (as some one has not inaptly 
 pronounced it) a fifth element in Bavaria, he had 
 at least so frequently heard its merits, demerits, 
 and price canvassed, that he began to attach con- 
 siderable importance to the subject, and rather 
 prided himself on being able to talk about it. 
 
 On driving into the court, he looked up along 
 the range of windows, and discovered with great 
 pleasure A. Z. standing at one of them. He 
 had not had time to write, or in anyway to an- 
 nounce his visit, therefore her first look of sur- 
 prise rather amused him ; when they met, and 
 she regretted that her husband was on a hunting 
 expedition, and would not be at home until the 
 next day, he was glad that no letter from him 
 had interfered with the arrangement. They 
 supped together under a" large chestnut tree, 
 commanding an extensive view of woods, moun- 
 tains, and a part of the Chiem Lake, now glitter- 
 ing in all the radiance of a magnificent sunset. 
 
 " I had no idea," said Hamilton, " that you 
 were so near home when I met you at Seon last 
 summer. I understand now why you were al- 
 ways on the move, and we saw so little of you. 
 By the by, I should like to hear something of 
 the Zedwitzes ; they are relations or intimate 
 friends of yours, I believe ? " 
 
 " Distant relations, but very near and dear 
 friends," answered A. Z. " I am sorry I have 
 nothing satisfactory to tell you ; the old Count is
 
 320 Gbe initials. 
 
 killing himself as fast as he can with perspiration 
 and cold water ; his wife had a fit of apoplexy 
 this summer, from which she is, however, nearly 
 recovered ; and Maximilian has, you know, been 
 constantly from home since that unpleasant busi- 
 ness with the Rosenberg family. He was with 
 us for a few weeks, and 1 never in my life saw a 
 man in such a state of desperation ; his only 
 consolation was talking to me about this ' cun- 
 ningest pattern of excellent nature/ this Hilde- 
 garde, and as I had a great deal to do in my 
 house, and could not always find time to listen 
 to him, he used to wander about, writing sonnets, 
 I should imagine, from the poetical expression 
 of his dear ugly face." 
 
 " So he told you all about it ? " said Hamil- 
 ton. 
 
 " Yes, and about you, too ; that is, all he knew 
 about you. He seemed to have dreaded you 
 excessively as a rival ; indeed, he does so still, 
 for were his father to die, I have not the small- 
 est doubt he would renew his proposal, and per- 
 haps be accepted." 
 
 " I admire his patience and perseverance," 
 said Hamilton, ironically ; " one downright re- 
 fusal such as he received would have satisfied 
 me." 
 
 " Circumstances might materially alter the 
 state of the case," said A. Z. " Suppose this 
 flirtation with you quite over you have left, 
 most probably, without any sort of serious ex-
 
 foobenfels. 321 
 
 planation ; now I have no doubt you are very 
 charming, but, you know, people do get over 
 hopeless affairs of this kind in the course of 
 time, and in the course of time, too, Maximilian 
 will be at liberty to marry whoever he pleases. 
 I cannot imagine his being refused again, he is 
 so exactly the sort of man most women like." 
 
 " He does not think so himself," observed 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " That is his great charm," said A. Z. " Diffi- 
 dent enthusiastic men are almost always popu- 
 lar. I have a decided predilection for them." 
 
 " I think, however, you are singular in your 
 taste," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Not at all," rejoined A. Z.; " the secret may 
 be that such men think less of themselves, and 
 more of the person they wish to please ; but in 
 nine cases out of ten, you will find that it is an 
 ugly man who inspires real affection. It is very 
 creditable to our sex, you must allow ; one so 
 very seldom hears of a man who loves a really 
 ugly woman." 
 
 " Perhaps you are right," said Hamilton. " My 
 experience has not been great. I only know 
 that I am now very seriously, and, I fear, hope- 
 lessly in love with a very young and very beauti- 
 ful woman." 
 
 " You will get over it," observed A. Z., laugh- 
 ing. " A few months in London, if it were not 
 so late in the year " 
 
 " You are mistaken," said Hamilton, gravely ; 
 
 VOL. H. 21
 
 322 <Xbe flnitiale. 
 
 " neither a few months nor a few years either are 
 likely to change my feelings." 
 
 " I am sorry to hear it," said A. Z., thought- 
 fully ; " never will I sign a letter with my initials 
 again." 
 
 " I had quite forgotten that your note was the 
 cause of all this evil," said Hamilton, smiling, 
 " but there would be no evil at all if Hildegarde 
 liked me." 
 
 " So it is all on your side," observed A. Z., 
 with some surprise. 
 
 " I don't know, but I am afraid so. If it will 
 not bore you, I should like to explain, and ask 
 your advice " 
 
 " Stay," cried A. Z., " I don't at all know this 
 Hildegarde, and I now do know something of 
 you and your family, and shall therefore cer- 
 tainly recommend you to break off the affair, if 
 you can do so with honour ; and that you can do 
 so is scarcely to be doubted, if you imagine her 
 indifferent to you." 
 
 " But suppose she had been indifferent only 
 because I said I could not marry ? " 
 
 " It would prove that she is as prudent as she 
 is pretty, and that is saying a great deal," 
 answered A. Z., gayly ; and as you can not 
 marry, the least said about the matter the bet- 
 ter." 
 
 " You do not quite understand the state of 
 the case," began Hamilton. " You see I have a 
 grand uncle "
 
 foobenfels. 323 
 
 " Called Jack," observed A. Z. 
 
 " Exactly," said Hamilton ; " and this Uncle 
 Jack made a fortune in India, in those times 
 when fortunes were to be made there, and added 
 to this fortune by speculations in the funds at the 
 end of the last war ; we have consequently a 
 great respect for him." 
 
 "Of course," said A. Z.; "people always 
 have a respect for rich uncles, both in books and 
 real life. I never had one, but I can imagine 
 the thing." 
 
 " As he had no children," continued Hamil- 
 ton, " my father prudently chose him as god- 
 father to his eldest son, who was accordingly 
 afflicted with the name of John, but even in his 
 earliest youth it was found that the name would 
 not cover the multitude of his sins, poor fellow, 
 and while I was still a mere child my uncle de- 
 clared that John would inherit from his father 
 more than he would ever deserve, and that I, 
 and I alone, should be his heir. He defrayed all 
 the expenses of my education, gave me ponies, 
 and pocket money, and would have paid my 
 debts, I do believe, without hesitation, if I had 
 had any at Cambridge. Since I have been here, 
 too, he has sent me large remittances through 
 my father, and latterly, I suspect, forbidden the 
 words of wisdom which usually accompanied 
 them. The first letter I ever received from him 
 was the day before yesterday ; he had heard 
 more than was necessary, more than was true
 
 324 Gbe Initials. 
 
 of Hildegarde, and you can imagine his propos- 
 ing to send me money to buy off to pay to 
 satisfy pshaw ! where is the letter ? You must 
 read it, or you will never understand " 
 
 " He does not understand, that is very evi- 
 dent," observed A. Z. ; " You need not show me 
 the letter, but go on." 
 
 " When I told Hildegarde that I must return 
 home, she recommended my leaving directly ; 
 she had, indeed, advised me to do so before the 
 letter arrived." 
 
 " And did she give you this advice without 
 any apparent effort ? " 
 
 " Without apparent effort, yes ; but she is not 
 to be judged from appearances. She has been 
 educated by a Mademoiselle Hortense, who has 
 given her the idea that, besides controlling her 
 temper, which is naturally hasty, she should 
 endeavour to conceal all her feelings, and, if pos- 
 sible, stifle them altogether. If Hildegarde had 
 not been naturally warm-hearted, hot-tempered, 
 and intellectual, such an education would have 
 completely spoiled her." 
 
 " But," said A. Z., " after having lived nearly 
 a year in the same house, if you can have any 
 doubts about her caring for you " 
 
 " Stay," cried Hamilton, interrupting her, 
 " you are not, perhaps, aware that I proclaimed 
 myself a younger son, and said I could not 
 marry, even before I entered the Rosenbergs' 
 house, and, as, until very lately, I never seriously
 
 f>obenfel$. 325 
 
 thought of sacrificing my really brilliant pros- 
 pects, Hildegarde is still unconscious that even, 
 with the best intentions, I could have acted oth- 
 erwise than as I have done. I have been more 
 calculating and worldly-minded than befits such 
 an attachment, but latterly, as the time drew near 
 when I knew we must part, I was ready to brave 
 all my family and be disinherited by my uncle if 
 she had only said one word, given me one look, 
 from which I could have felt certain that she 
 loved me." 
 
 " I suppose," said A. Z., rising, and walking 
 towards the house, " I suppose, from what you 
 have just said, that you have some fortune inde- 
 pendent of your family enough, at least to buy 
 bread and butter ? " 
 
 " I have five thousand pounds. A legacy left 
 me by a distant relation, but it is not at my dis- 
 posal for two years. This would not be enough 
 for England ; but I think here, as you say, it 
 would perhaps buy bread and butter " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! " said A. Z., laughing, " and roast 
 veal and pudding into the bargain, but that is not 
 all that is to be considered. You ought not to 
 make so great a sacrifice without considering 
 long and carefully both sides of the question." 
 
 " Oh, I have considered only too long," an- 
 swered Hamilton, " but I see you cannot under- 
 stand me, or know Hildegarde without reading 
 my journal. I had some intention of leaving 
 it under your care, at all events, and I shall only
 
 326 tTbe flnitiate. 
 
 beg of you never to refer to that part of it which 
 relates to Count Oscar Raimund." 
 
 " I think I already know," said A. Z., " his 
 father showed me the letter he had written the 
 day he had shot himself. Does Mademoiselle 
 Rosenberg know that she was the cause ? " 
 
 " But too well, as you will perceive from my 
 journal," answered Hamilton ; "you really seem 
 to know everybody and everything, which, how- 
 ever, no longer surprises me, as I am myself 
 willing on so short an acquaintance to confide in 
 you. I suppose other people have done the same." 
 
 " Not exactly," answered A. Z., " but as I 
 know the Zedwitzes, the Raimunds, the Bergers, 
 and even Mr. Biedermann, and as you, from the 
 peculiarity of the commencement of our ac- 
 quaintance, rather interested me, I have thought 
 it worth while to listen, and remember all I have 
 heard about you." 
 
 " How very kind ! " said Hamilton. 
 
 " You say that thoughtlessly," observed A. Z., 
 laughing, " but it really was kind of me, for I 
 greatly prefer talking to listening on most occa- 
 sions." 
 
 " Will reading my journal bore you ? " 
 
 " Not in the least. I shall be curious to know 
 the impression made on you by all you must 
 have seen of the domestic manners you were so 
 anxious to become acquainted with last year. 
 Have you given up all idea of writing a book on 
 the subject ? "
 
 fcobenfels. 327 
 
 "I have been a much too greatly interested 
 actor to have thought of anything of the kind, as 
 you will see." 
 
 " Before I read your journal," said A. Z., 
 " that is before I feel any interest in this Hilde- 
 garde, you must allow me to point out to you all 
 the disadvantages of the step you propose taking, 
 and remind you that the sacrifice of parents, 
 relations, the friends of your youth, your coun- 
 try, and your native language, ought not to be 
 lightly made. I speak from experience." 
 
 " But you told me," said Hamilton, " that you 
 felt quite naturalised that you had become a 
 very Bavarian ! I know, too, you are more than 
 contented ; you are happy. The Countess Zed- 
 witz told me so." 
 
 " Very true," answered A. Z., " but I am a 
 woman, and that alters the case materially ; both 
 our nature and education induce us to conform 
 to the habits of those about us we have no pro- 
 fession, no career in life to give up, we have 
 only to learn to enlarge or contract our sphere of 
 action, according to the circumstances in which 
 we may be placed. For instance, Mademoiselle 
 Rosenberg would most probably, without hesita- 
 tion, go with you to England were your uncle to 
 consent to your marriage." 
 
 " I cannot help thinking that perhaps she 
 would," answered Hamilton. 
 
 " And if she did, she would never have any 
 cause to regret having done so, for besides being
 
 328 Gbe fnltfats. 
 
 united to the person she loved, she would only 
 have to learn to live luxuriously, and habits of 
 that kind are easily acquired ; but after having 
 so lived, frugality is more difficult of acquirement 
 and that would be your task." 
 
 " But I have tried it," cried Hamilton, eagerly ; 
 " I have made the trial this last year. I see that 
 riches are not necessary to my happiness I am 
 convinced, that with Hildegarde and a cot- 
 tage " 
 
 " So you would live in the country ? " 
 
 " Of course." 
 
 " And in the mountains ? " 
 
 " Here, in your neighbourhood, if possible." 
 
 "You are bribing me," cried A. Z., "more 
 than you know. I am in want of such neigh- 
 bours, and although it is getting cool," she added, 
 drawing her shawl around her, " still, as it is not 
 yet dark, we may as well return to the chestnut 
 tree, and perhaps walk to the beech-wood, which 
 you saw from it." 
 
 On ascending a slight acclivity, a more exten- 
 sive view of the Chiem Lake became visible, and 
 a peasant's house, with its overhanging roof and 
 long balcony, stood before them it was built 
 almost in the mountain, at least it appeared so at 
 a little distance ; a noisy stream rushed out of 
 the rocks beside it, and formed a series of cas- 
 cades, while endeavouring to reach the green 
 fields, and dark wood beneath. Under the nu- 
 merous fruit trees which surrounded the house.
 
 fcobenfels, 329 
 
 with their overloaded branches bending to the 
 ground, were several wooden benches ; on one 
 of these A. Z. seated herself, while Hamilton, 
 attracted by the light from some windows on the 
 ground-floor, seemed disposed to inspect the 
 premises more closely. A loud chorus of voices 
 made him hesitate. 
 
 " They are at their evening prayers," observed 
 A. Z., " it is better not to disturb them. Come 
 here, and listen to me. You have not often 
 seen a house more beautifully situated than this, 
 most probably ! " 
 
 " Never." 
 
 " The mountain peasants know how to choose 
 a site ! You have no idea how highly they value 
 a view of this kind, or how they feel the beauty 
 of their scenery ; their eyes and minds are from 
 infancy accustomed to grand and striking forms 
 the want of them causes the ennui and listless- 
 ness called Maladie du pays, Nostalgic or Heim- 
 weh, from which all mountaineers suffer, more or 
 less, when in a town or distant from their moun- 
 tains. I can understand it, as I have actually 
 felt this maladie, for which, by the by, we have 
 no English name, when I was obliged to remain 
 in Munich for some time, about two years ago. 
 The peasant to whom that house and all those 
 fruitful fields below us belong, is about deliber- 
 ately to die of this most lingering and melancholy 
 disease ; he intends to emigrate to America ! " 
 
 " Oh, what a fool ! " cried Hamilton.
 
 330 tibe initials. 
 
 " I have said as much to him, but in rather 
 more civil terms," answered A. Z. ; " but all to 
 no purpose ; perhaps, when you know his 
 motives, you may think differently, though I can- 
 not. The extreme cheapness of education in 
 Bavaria is a great temptation to the peasants, 
 when their sons distinguish themselves at the 
 German schools, to let them continue their edu- 
 cation, learn Latin, and afterwards study at the 
 University. It is a common thing for them to 
 rise to eminence in the learned professions, and 
 the eldest son of my friend Felsenbauer here 
 would most probably have done so, had it not 
 chanced that when he had nearly completed his 
 studies, that revolutionary attempt of the students 
 took place in the year 1830, of which you may, 
 perhaps, have heard. Whether or not he was 
 implicated, is unknown ; but after having con- 
 cealed himself for some time, and found that all 
 his most intimate friends had been imprisoned, 
 he wrote to his father for money, and went off 
 to America. He has married an American, and 
 is so advantageously placed at Cincinnati, that 
 he is most desirous to have his family near him, 
 and his letters are from year to year more press^ 
 ing. The old man is now only waiting to find a 
 purchaser for his house and grounds ! " 
 
 " I understand," said Hamilton, laughing ; 
 " you think that house, with a few alterations, 
 might be made as comfortable as it is pretty. 
 What price does he demand ? "
 
 Scbetben*Scbte60en. 331 
 
 " About twelve hundred pounds ; but he will 
 not get more than a thousand for it ; and is 
 therefore likely to have to wait for a year or two 
 before he finds a purchaser ; so you have plenty 
 of time either to buy it, or change your mind, 
 which I suspect you will do after your return 
 home. At all events I recommend your inspect- 
 ing it some day with Herrmann, who understands 
 such things perfectly it will not be uninteresting 
 to you to know the financial position of a peasant 
 of this kind, and if he have the smallest hopes of 
 your ever being a purchaser, he will unreservedly 
 show you all his accounts." 
 
 While they were speaking, the peasant and his 
 wife, followed by their second son and daughter, 
 came out of the house, and a long conversation 
 ensued. It was so dark when A. Z. proposed 
 leaving, that the old man insisted on accompany- 
 ing her home with a lantern. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 THE SCHEIBEN-SCHIESSEN (TARGET SHOOTING 
 MATCH). 
 
 DARON Z returned the next day, was 
 
 L ' delighted to see Hamilton, and went 
 about with him everywhere, showing and 
 explaining whatever he thought likely to in- 
 terest him. One of their excursions was to the
 
 332 tTbe "Initials. 
 
 marriage of a wood-ranger with the daughter of 
 an innkeeper, who lived deep in the mountains. 
 There was to be a dance and target shooting 
 match as wedding festivities ; and it was with no 
 small satisfaction that Hamilton, at an unmen- 
 tionably early hour in the morning, followed 
 
 Baron Z to his room to choose one of his 
 
 rifles for the latter. Hamilton did not, as on a 
 former occasion, listen with indifference while 
 he descanted on their merits, but examined 
 them carefully, poised them in his hand, and 
 pointed them out of the windows at the little 
 belfry of the house he had visited with A. Z., 
 and which he now chose as a target. 
 
 " You really look as if you understood what 
 you were about," observed A. Z., who was pour- 
 ing out their coffee. " If you have gained no- 
 thing else by your residence in Bavaria, you have 
 at least learned to get up in the morning, and to 
 use a rifle ! " 
 
 " Both decidedly German accomplishments," 
 replied Hamilton, laughing, " and learned, in 
 both cases, from ladies. Madame Rosenberg 
 and the Baroness Waldorf have been my in- 
 structresses, as you will find when you look over 
 my journal." 
 
 "Which I intend to do to-day, when I am 
 alone and quiet," said A. Z., " and then we can 
 talk about it whenever you are disposed." 
 
 " Time to be off ! " cried Baron Z ; and 
 
 Hamilton found himself, soon after, driving
 
 Sbe Scbetben*5cbie0sen. 333 
 
 through the wildest passes of the mountain at an 
 hour which he had formerly considered ought to 
 be devoted to sleep in a darkened chamber. 
 
 The road was still in shadow, though the sun 
 shone brightly on the rocks above them, and it 
 was only through an occasional cleft in them, or 
 a widening of the pass through which the road 
 lay, that the warm rays occasionally tempered 
 the bracing morning air. For the first time since 
 Hamilton had left the Rosenbergs, he felt ex- 
 hilarated disposed to enjoy life as he had for- 
 merly done. It must not be supposed that he 
 was beginning to forget Hildegarde quite the 
 contrary his mental struggles were over ; ab- 
 sence, that surest test of affection, had proved to 
 him that without her the best years of his life 
 would be clouded ; so completely had the world, 
 and all relating to it, been changed to him dur- 
 ing the last year, so different were all his ideas 
 from what they had been, that his recollections 
 of home were becoming ruins, and it was with 
 difficulty that his imagination supplied the 
 broken walls and crumbling windowsills of his 
 former splendid visions of pomp and riches. His 
 only fears now were of Hildegarde herself, he 
 half dreaded a repulse ; but he had resolved to 
 brave even that ; and since his resolutions had 
 been formed, he had again begun to feel pleasure 
 in everything surrounding him. When Baron 
 
 Z stepped out of the little low carriage, 
 
 which he called a " sausage," to gather bunches
 
 334 Gbe ffmttals. 
 
 of the beautiful wild rhododendron, commonly 
 called Alpen rosen, Hamilton sprang joyously up 
 the side of the mountain with him, and experi- 
 enced a boyish satisfaction in scrambling higher 
 and higher still, to obtain a branch with deeply- 
 coloured flowers, or a few sweetly-scented cycla- 
 mens. 
 
 Their destination was a village, which as 
 nearly resembled a nest as could well be imag- 
 ined, so completely was it surrounded by moun- 
 tains, all wooded nearly to the summit ; there 
 were about thirty houses and two large inns. 
 
 Baron Z 's brewery supplied the place with 
 
 beer, and it was, as he informed Hamilton, in 
 the characters of a brewer and his friend that 
 they that day appeared. They were, however, 
 persons of considerable importance, as Hamilton 
 soon discovered, for the marriage had been de- 
 layed until their arrival, and the gay procession 
 was then first formed, with which preceded by 
 loud music, in which a flageolet contended in 
 vain with a couple of horns for predominance, 
 they marched to the church. Hamilton, on per- 
 ceiving that all the men had large bouquets of 
 flowers, and streaming ribbons in their hats, im- 
 mediately decorated his with Alpen rosen. As to 
 
 Baron Z , neither he nor any of the other 
 
 numerous gentlemen who came in the course of 
 the day to shoot, could be distinguished at a lit- 
 tle distance from the peasants. The strong 
 shoes, worsted stockings, black breeches, leather
 
 Scbeiben=Scbiessen. 335 
 
 belts with their curiously worked initials, loose 
 grey shooting-jackets, and slouched hats with 
 black cock feathers, were common to all. A 
 nice observer might, perhaps, have discovered a 
 difference in the materials, but even that was 
 generally avoided. If ever a German noble- 
 man feels that those who are not in his class are 
 equal or superior to him, it is at a Scheiben- 
 Schiessen. There the best shot is the best man. 
 The consciousness of strength and power, which 
 the free use of arms, and the habit of seeking 
 pleasure and fame in their dexterous use beget, 
 is not without its national importance ; such men 
 can scarcely fail to make good soldiers, or defend 
 their mountain homes in time of war. 
 
 Excepting while they dined, Baron Z - 
 never ceased shooting. Hamilton, contented 
 with having acquitted himself creditably, began 
 at the end of a couple of hours to wander 
 about : he first looked into the room where the 
 wedding banquet was being slowly served : it 
 had already lasted more than three hours, which 
 is scarcely to be wondered at, as between the 
 courses, the more youthful part of the company 
 made their way up the crowded staircase to a 
 large room under the roof, where they danced ; 
 the measured sound of the waltz step forming a 
 sort of metronome to the musicians, who, at 
 times, seemed more attentive to the movements 
 of those about them than their occupation, there- 
 by occasionally producing such extraordinary
 
 336 Ube flnttials. 
 
 and wild sounds that Hamilton allowed himself 
 to be pushed up the stairs into their immediate 
 vicinity. Finding a quiet corner, he tranquilly 
 smoked his cigar and looked on, an amused spec- 
 tator of a scene which formed for him a picture 
 of the most interesting description, from its 
 novelty and thoroughly national character. 
 
 The room, spacious and well-floored, was im- 
 mediately under the roof, of which the rafters 
 and, on close inspection, the tiles were visible. 
 The musicians, placed in a corner and well sup- 
 plied with beer, blew, whistled, and scraped with 
 all their might, the violoncello, with its eternal 
 tonic, dominant, and subdominant, acting as 
 whipper-in to the other instruments. The trum- 
 pet, occasionally raised to one of the windows in 
 the roof, informed the absent of the opportunity 
 they were losing, or served as an invitation to 
 the lazy. Diminutive beer barrels, connected 
 with strong planks, formed seats along the walls, 
 and on them the half breathless dancers, in 
 their picturesque costumes, occasionally sat and 
 rested ; a few elderly peasants were established 
 round a table behind the door, and near them 
 stood a fine specimen of a rustic exclusive, with 
 his arms folded, and bright blue eyes audaciously 
 following each dancing pair as they passed ; he 
 lounged against the wall, until seeing some 
 known, or loved, or pretty girl, he was moved to 
 touch her partner on the shoulder, and however 
 unwilling the latter might be, he was obliged in
 
 ftbe 5cbefben=5cbte0sen. 337 
 
 courtesy to resign her until she had taken some 
 turns round the room with the interloper, who, 
 on returning her to her partner, thanked Aim, 
 and the flushed and panting girl invariably 
 looked delighted at this most approved mode of 
 publicly doing her homage. Hamilton observed 
 about half a dozen beauties who never were 
 allowed to rest for one moment. 
 
 Light and shade were disposed as the most 
 fastidious painter could desire ; the rays of the 
 afternoon sun, as they entered by the open win- 
 dows, rendered even the tremulous motion of the 
 air and the usually imperceptible particles of 
 dust apparent, while the gradually dispersing 
 light made the silver-laced bodices of the women 
 glitter, and the beaming faces of the men to glow 
 more deeply. Here for the first time Hamilton 
 saw the real Ldndler danced, the waltz in all its 
 nationality as unlike anything he had ever 
 heard so denominated as could well be imagined. 
 It was a German fandango with nailed shoes in- 
 stead of castanets, but there was life, energy, and 
 enjoyment in every movement. The origin of 
 the name of waltz for this dance is from walzen, 
 to turn round, and this the dancers did regularly, 
 though not quickly when together, but they often 
 separated, and then the movements were as un- 
 certain as various, accompanied on the part of 
 the men by the snapping of fingers, clapping 
 their knees with both hands, and springing in the 
 air, while ever and anon they uttered a piercing 
 
 VOL. II. 23
 
 338 abe flnitials. 
 
 peculiar cry, something between shouting and 
 singing. During the time the men performed 
 these wild gesticulations, their partners waltzed 
 on demurely before them, and when they joined 
 each other again it was usually with a few de- 
 cided foot stampings that they recommenced 
 their rotary motions. 
 
 It was long before Hamilton felt disposed to 
 leave this scene of rustic festivity ; when he did 
 so, it was but to witness another of a different 
 kind, for as the evening approached, and the 
 noise of the rifles began by degrees to cease, all 
 the singers and zither players in the neighbour- 
 hood assembled in the garden ; it was in the 
 midst of them that Hamilton was found by 
 
 Baron Z , and though he soon after joined 
 
 the latter and his friends at another table, he 
 still turned round and endeavoured to hear the 
 words or hum the chorus of their songs. 
 
 " Our national music seems to interest you," 
 observed an elderly gentleman in a green shoot- 
 ing jacket, drawing his chair close to Hamilton's. 
 
 " Very much, but I find it rather difficult to 
 understand the words, though I hear them very 
 distinctly." 
 
 " Of course you do ; a foreigner must always 
 find it difficult to understand our different 
 dialects, and we have many." 
 
 Baron Z took a little book of songs out of 
 
 his pocket and handed it to Hamilton, who, 
 after a few unsuccessful attempts, at length was
 
 Gbe Scbetben=ScfMe0sett. 339 
 
 able to read and understand one of them. " Are 
 these songs ancient or modern ? " he asked after 
 a pause. 
 
 "These," answered Baron Z , " are of an 
 
 uncertain age, and are common in the Bavarian 
 highlands ; but we have some national songs 
 of the same description which are extremely 
 ancient." 
 
 "We know," observed the elderly gentleman, 
 " we know from the poems of Walter von der 
 Vogelweide that even at the end of the twelfth 
 century the peasants had their own songs, which, 
 to the great annoyance of the celebrated poet, 
 were gladly heard and highly valued by the 
 princes and knights of his time. The highest 
 nobles then danced to their own songs, as you 
 may sometimes see the Austrian peasants do to 
 this day. The rhymes of the Niebelungenlied* 
 and other old German epic poems are precisely 
 of the same description as these songs, which is 
 also a proof of their antiquity." 
 
 " And is the music as old as the poetry ? " 
 asked Hamilton. 
 
 " I believe so," replied Baron Z ; " it was 
 
 intended for dancing as well as singing, as the 
 universal name of Schnadder-hiipfen denotes ; the 
 word schnadder means to talk or chat, and hupfen 
 to jump or dance about." 
 
 1 The Niebelungenlied is a very ancient poem, greatly 
 valued but little read like the works of Chaucer and 
 Spenser in England.
 
 340 ttbe flnftials. 
 
 " And is all your old national music of this 
 gay Schnadder-hupfen description," asked Hamil- 
 ton. 
 
 " Oh, no, we have melancholy and sentimental 
 too, but our mountaineers are too gay and happy 
 a people to allow the mournful to predominate, 
 or even to have its due share in their music ; the 
 sorrowful thought of one verse is sure to find 
 consolation in the jesting contradiction in the 
 next. The Alpine songs are generally of this 
 description, and the girls who have the charge of 
 the cows on the Alps sing them together, and 
 continue to do so after they have left the moun- 
 tains, which has caused them to become familiar 
 to the inhabitants of the valleys. Then there is 
 the jodel, the song without words, which has so 
 much resemblance to the ranz des vetches of the 
 Swiss, and which requires both practice and 
 compass of voice." 
 
 " Oh, I remember," said Hamilton, " what you 
 and some of the others sang when we were on 
 the chamois hunt last year ; sometimes it 
 sounded like water bubbling, and then came 
 some queer high notes and a sort of shout it 
 was quite adapted to the mountains quite beau- 
 tiful when there was an echo. I should like to 
 learn it." 
 
 " You will find it more difficult than you im- 
 agine," said Baron Z , " that is if you have 
 
 ever learned to sing ; my wife has never been 
 able to manage it, and she has often tried."
 
 Gbe Scbefben*Scbfes6en. 341 
 
 " I shall learn tojodel and play the zither, too," 
 said Hamilton, " that is if I ever come to reside 
 in Germany." 
 
 "//"," said Baron Z , and then he joined 
 
 in the chorus of the song which was being sung 
 at the table nearest them. 
 
 " How different the same scene looks in the 
 gradually increasing light of early morning, and 
 the deepening shades of approaching evening ! " 
 
 observed Baron Z , as he leaned back in the 
 
 carriage on their way home, and looked along 
 the valley through which the road lay ; it had 
 become so narrow that it seemed about to close 
 altogether, while a towering mountain, facing 
 them as they advanced, appeared to prevent all 
 further progress ; and yet I scarcely know which 
 is to be preferred in a country of this descrip- 
 tion." 
 
 " The evening, certainly the evening," said 
 Hamilton, looking round ; " but a little earlier ; 
 the sun should still be on those rocks above us 
 and make them successively yellow, red, copper- 
 coloured, and violet, as I have seen them every 
 evening from the garden of Hohenfels." 
 
 " I wish," said Baron Z , " I wish that we 
 
 could see them from the top of our alp to-night ; 
 we cannot expect this unclouded weather to last 
 much longer." 
 
 " Have you an alp of your own ? " asked 
 Hamilton.
 
 342 Gbe flnittats. 
 
 " No ; but I have rented one for the last two 
 years, and find it answers very well, the greater 
 part of my cattle are there now. It was not, how- 
 ever, of my cows and calves that I was thinking, 
 but of the chamois on the mountain near the 
 
 alp, of which the Forster from G told me 
 
 this morning. Now, as you acquitted yourself 
 so well to-day at the Schetben-Schiessen, I do not 
 see why you should not become a sportsman at 
 once." 
 
 " Do you think I should have any chance ? " 
 
 " Why not ? You must make a beginning 
 some time or other." 
 
 " I suppose game is very plentiful here ? " said 
 Hamilton. 
 
 " Not what you call plenty, at least we have 
 not grouse or black cocks as my wife tells me 
 you have in Scotland." 
 
 " But I have heard of splendid battues in the 
 neighbourhood of Munich." 
 
 " I dare say, in the royal chase, where eight or 
 nine hundred hares, and other game in propor- 
 tion, have been shot in one afternoon but that 
 is not my idea of sport. I prefer a chamois 
 hunt to all others, next to that, black cock ; and 
 I am quite satisfied if I shoot three or four dur- 
 ing the season." 
 
 " Are the black cock so difficult to get at ? " 
 
 " More troublesome than difficult, though I 
 have occasionally found them almost as high on 
 the mountains as the chamois ! It is the waiting
 
 tTbe Scbeiben*Scbfeasen. 343 
 
 and watching the being up before sunrise, that 
 gives me an interest, though it generally disgusts 
 others whose actual profession it does not happen 
 to be." 
 
 " I suppose," said Hamilton, " it is the actual 
 profession of those Forsters ? There was one 
 near the Iron Works, and he always supplied 
 Madame Rosenberg with game ; she paid him 
 for it, however." 
 
 " Of course she did," replied Baron Z , 
 
 laughing ; " and if you shoot a chamois you must 
 pay for it too, that is, if you wish to keep it. I 
 have myself no game whatever, but as the Fors- 
 ter rents the whole chase in my neighborhood 
 from government, I have as much sport as I 
 please, and in fact as much game too ; I pay for 
 whatever I retain, and so do all the others to 
 whom he has given the permission to shoot ; but 
 I suspect his profits are not great, for we have a 
 number of Wildschiitzen, wild hunters poachers 
 you call them, I believe, in England." 
 
 " Yes, one hears of them continually in the 
 country ; I begin to have a faint idea that they 
 may be great nuisances." 
 
 " I have no intention of exactly undertaking 
 
 their defence," said Baron Z , " but here in 
 
 the mountains, where almost every man is a good 
 shot, and the ideas of some are rather confused 
 as to the better right which one man may have 
 more than another to shoot an animal roaming 
 about among the rocks the crime is, to say the
 
 344 tTbe ffnttfals. 
 
 least v venial. I, for my part, would never pursue a 
 Wildschiitzen with the wish to catch him ; but 
 between them and the Forsters there is the most 
 implacable hatred and deadly war. When they 
 meet without witnesses, it not unfrequently 
 happens that they fire at each other ! If the 
 Forster fall, he is immediately missed ; if the 
 Wildschiitz, it often remains long undiscov- 
 ered. Last winter the body of a young man 
 was found on one of the mountains here, several 
 weeks after his friends had first privately, and 
 then publicly, sought him. There is little doubt 
 that he was shot by one of our wood-rangers, 
 and the man was immediately arrested, but no 
 sort of proof could be obtained ; the day of the 
 young man's death was unknown, the wood- 
 ranger had been on that mountain, but also on 
 others about the supposed time shots had been 
 heard by some wood-cutters, but not more than 
 could be accounted for by the game brought 
 home ; in short, he was set at liberty ; but the 
 fate of the Wildschiitz, who was a handsome, 
 good-humoured fellow, created much interest and 
 pity ; so you see there is so much danger, and so 
 little profit, so much romance, and so little vul- 
 garity about them altogether, that they are not 
 unfrequently the subject of a song or the hero of 
 a legend. I am not even quite sure that the sus- 
 picion of a young man being at times a wild 
 hunter would injure him in the opinion of any 
 girl born and bred among the mountains ! "
 
 ftbe Scbeiben*Scbie6sen. 345 
 
 " 1 dare say not," said Hamilton ; " women 
 higher born, and better bred, have not unfre- 
 quently similar feelings, and the very word is 
 in itself the essence of romance ! You must 
 allow that it sounds a vast deal better than 
 Forster, or Forstmeisier, or Forstcommissioner, 
 or Forstinspector. Everybody seems to be Fiirst 
 something in this part of the world." 
 
 " And are we not surrounded by forests ? Are 
 not all our mountains covered with wood ? " 
 asked Baron Z , laughing ; " can you won- 
 der that, in a country where wood is used as 
 fuel, the care and culture of it should be of the 
 greatest importance ? " 
 
 " Then these Forsters are not a exactly 
 game-keepers ? " 
 
 " No ; the preserving of the game is, however, 
 always in connection with the woods and for- 
 ests., The Forstmeister, Forstactuar^ Forsters, and 
 Forstpracticants are appointed by government ; 
 the under Forster, or wood-ranger, is the only 
 'thing at all answering to your idea of game- 
 keeper." 
 
 " And what have they all to do ? " asked Ham- 
 ilton. 
 
 " Can you not imagine the care of all these 
 woods giving a number of people employment ? " 
 
 asked Baron Z , looking round him. "The 
 
 never-ending felling and drifting, and selling and 
 planting ; the corrections of the rivers used for 
 drifting ; the care of the game, and a hundred
 
 346 Gbe -ffnitfals. 
 
 other things, which I do not just now remember. 
 The Fdrstwesen, as we call it here, requires as 
 much, and as peculiar study at the University, as 
 theology, philosophy, law, physic, or any other 
 branch of learning. Had I been given my 
 choice, I should have preferred it to all others." 
 
 " And what did you study ? I mean espe- 
 cially ? " 
 
 " Law," answered Baron Z , and while he 
 
 spoke the carriage rolled into the paved court of 
 Hohenfels. 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 A DISCOURSE. 
 
 ""THERE had been a thunder-storm during the 
 night, and the rain descended the next 
 morning in torrents. " I fear, Hamilton, our 
 party must be put off for a short time ! " ob- 
 served Baron Z , as he walked from one win- 
 dow to the other, in a disconsolate manner, after 
 breakfast. " How I detest a hopeless day of this 
 kind ! " 
 
 " I remember," said A. Z., " that when I was 
 an accomplished young lady, I rather liked a day 
 of rain when I had a drawing to finish, or a new 
 song to study I do not dislike it to-day either, 
 but for a very different reason. Had it been 
 fine, I must have gone to the alp, to do the hon-
 
 B SMecourse. 347 
 
 ors of my dairy to Mr. Hamilton, and now, 
 without any incivility on my part, I can stay at 
 home and quietly inspect the making of a hun- 
 dred-weight of soap, which cannot be any 
 longer delayed, and I expect," she added, turn- 
 ing to Hamilton, " or rather I hope, on your way 
 from the brewery, where of course you will go to 
 smoke with Hermann, you will visit me in the 
 wash-house." 
 
 " And can you really make soap ? " asked 
 Hamilton, rather surprised. 
 
 " I really can, and really do, as you shall see 
 but, perhaps, you don't care about soap-boiling ? " 
 
 " I rather hoped that, perhaps, to-day you 
 would have had time to talk to me about " 
 
 " Oh ! I always find time to talk," said A. Z., 
 " my soap will be ready before dinner ; it was be- 
 gun yesterday evening, and has been boiling all 
 the morning, so you see after our coffee we 
 shall have the whole afternoon, and no chance 
 of visitors ! " 
 
 Just as all the bells in the neighbourhood were 
 chiming noon, Hamilton walked into the wash- 
 house, and there found A. Z. standing beside an 
 immense boiler, filled with a substance very 
 much resembling porridge ; she was examining 
 some of it, as it trickled down a piece of flat 
 wood, which she held in her hand, and having 
 dipped her finger into it, and found that it 
 formed what she called a thimble, she appeared 
 satisfied. Some few directions she gave to a lit-
 
 348 Ebe Ifnitiats. 
 
 tie old woman, who seemed very learned on the 
 subject of soap-boiling, and then she wound her 
 way through the surrounding tubs and buckets 
 and pails to Hamilton, and with him went un- 
 ceremoniously to dinner. 
 
 When Hamilton, a couple of hours afterwards, 
 joined A. Z. in the drawing-room, he found her 
 turning over the last leaves of his journal, as she 
 sat in a large arm-chair, beside the slightly heated 
 stove. She turned round immediately and ob- 
 served : " Well, Mr. Hamilton, you ' rather 
 hoped I should find time to talk.' I have time 
 now, and only wait to hear what is to be the 
 subject of conversation." 
 
 He drew a chair close to her, and said, " First 
 of "all your opinion of Hildegarde. Does she 
 care for me ? " 
 
 " I am afraid she does," answered A. Z. 
 
 " How can you say, ' afraid,' when you know 
 it is what I most wish my only chance of happi- 
 ness ! I fear nothing but a refusal now. Have 
 you not observed that she has never said a word 
 which could make me for a moment imagine 
 she cared in the least for me ? " 
 
 " Judge her actions, and not her words," an- 
 swered A. Z. 
 
 " And if her actions should denote more friend- 
 ship than love ? " 
 
 " The friendship of a girl of eighteen for a 
 man of one- or two-and-twenty is very apt to de- 
 generate into love."
 
 B 2>i0course. 349 
 
 " And you call that degenerating ? " 
 
 A. Z. nodded her head, and said, " We have 
 no time to discuss that matter now, nor is it 
 necessary ; but there is something I should like 
 to say to you, if you will allow me." 
 
 "I allow you wish you to say anything, 
 everything you please." 
 
 " Before 1 read your journal," she continued, 
 turning quite round to him, " I was disposed only 
 to think of you, and your interests, and recom- 
 mended you to return home, without again seeing 
 Mademoiselle Rosenberg, or entering into any 
 engagement with her. I give you the same advice 
 now but for her sake on her account ! " 
 
 " And this you say, supposing her attached to 
 me, and knowing that I am willing to sacrifice 
 everything I most value for her ! " said Hamil- 
 ton. 
 
 " Yes, I consider the whole affair as the purest 
 specimen of first love that it is possible to im- 
 agine ; so sincere on both sides, that, were there 
 no impediments to your marriage, I think you 
 might pass your lives very happily together ; but 
 the sacrifices you are about to make she will not, 
 I fear, be able properly to estimate, and you 
 must be very different from most young men of 
 your age and position in the world, if you have 
 steadiness enough, after two whole years' absence, 
 to return here, change all your habits, and bury 
 yourself in these mountains for the rest of your 
 life ! "
 
 350 abe flnitials. 
 
 "I think I am almost sure, that for Hilde- 
 garde I can do so." 
 
 " If you do, I shall have a colossal respect for 
 your character ; but in the meantime forgive 
 my doubting it. Your uncle will send you to 
 Paris, give you unlimited command of money, 
 the temptations are great there, and with your 
 brother John, and your cousin Harry as com- 
 panions, I fear that at the end of the first year 
 you will write Mademoiselle Rosenberg a letter to 
 say, 'that finding it impossible to obtain the con- 
 sent of your family to your union, you will not 
 drag the woman you love into poverty ! ' I believe 
 this is the usual phrase used on such occasions ? 
 And you can do this, without even incurring the 
 censure of the world, for who knows anything 
 of Hildegarde ? No one will ever hear that, for 
 your sake, she has refused Max Zedwitz, and 
 that she will again do so, if engaged to you, is a 
 matter of course ; and no one will know that 
 your desertion will condemn her either to being 
 a governess or to a nunnery for the rest of her 
 life, for she will never marry a Major Stultz, or a 
 Forster Weidmann !" A. Z. paused, but as Hamil- 
 ton did not speak, she continued, " I see my 
 doubts rather offend you, but such conduct is, I 
 am sorry to say, common, and I know you too 
 little to estimate your character as it, perhaps, 
 deserves. And now let us consider the other 
 side of the question I mean Hildegarde's she
 
 8 ^Discourse. 351 
 
 has never, you say, betrayed herself to you, 
 still less, I am sure to anyone else. To most 
 women, the feeling of wounded pride, the sense 
 of shame at being publicly slighted and forsaken, 
 is quite as painful to bear as the real loss of the 
 love on which all their visions of future happiness 
 are built all this may still be spared Hildegarde. 
 You have left her without explanation, she thinks 
 highly of you, for she does not know that you 
 could have acted otherwise than as you have 
 done none of her family have the least idea 
 that she cares for you, she even flatters herself 
 that you are not aware of it she will long re- 
 member you after you have ceased to think of 
 her, but the remembrance will be unmixed with 
 pain. When Maximilian again meets her, she 
 will tell him that she never can return his affec- 
 tion, that she never can feel anything but friend- 
 ship for him but she will marry him, make an 
 excellent wife, too and may, some fine day, in 
 this room, beside this very stove, quietly talk of 
 you, and wonder that she could ever have pre- 
 ferred anyone to her excellent husband, whom 
 we may suppose sitting just where you are 
 now ! " 
 
 " Really a most agreeable picture ! " cried 
 Hamilton, with ill-concealed irritation of manner. 
 " And pray what is to become of me ? " 
 
 " I have already said you will forget more 
 quickly than she can ; and so, after enjoying
 
 352 Cbe Ifntttals. 
 
 the world and its pomps and vanities for a few 
 years, you will marry a Lady Jane or Lady Mary 
 Somebody, who will be quite as amiable if not 
 as beautiful as Hildegarde ? " 
 
 " You are considering this affair much too 
 lightly," cried Hamilton, starting from his chair 
 almost angrily. " You talk as if it was a mere 
 flirtation ! " 
 
 " No : I have ceased to consider it as such," 
 rejoined A. Z. gravely. " I wish to save you 
 from self-reproach, and Hildegarde from real 
 unhappiness hereafter. The bitterness of parting 
 is now over on both sides. With the best in- 
 tentions in the world, circumstances might 
 induce you to write the letter I spoke of Hil- 
 degarde's feelings now are very different from 
 what they will be when she has accustomed her- 
 self to think of you as her companion for life. I 
 would willingly save her youth from a blight 
 which, however her pride and strength of mind 
 may enable her to conceal it, will prevent the 
 development of all her good qualities, and per- 
 haps turn her generous confidence into suspicious 
 distrust, her warmth of heart into callousness 
 forever but I have now said enough too 
 much, perhaps " ; and she walked to the window 
 
 which she opened, to ask Baron Z , who was 
 
 in the court-yard, what he thought of the 
 weather. 
 
 " No chance of a change," he answered ; " the 
 barometer is still falling, and it will not clear up
 
 ^Discourse. 353 
 
 until there is snow on the mountain tops, most 
 probably." 
 
 " That is the only disagreeable thing in a 
 mountainous country," observed A. Z., turning 
 to Hamilton. " When it begins to rain, it never 
 knows how or when to stop. I am sorry, on 
 your account, that the fine weather has not 
 lasted a little longer ; but to-morrow we shall 
 have a box of new books, and perhaps you 
 may find something to interest you among 
 them." 
 
 " I am sure," said Hamilton, " that you will 
 agree with me in thinking that I ought not delay 
 my return to Munich even a day longer, now 
 that I have quite decided on my future plans. I 
 wish, if possible, to prevent Hildegarde from 
 going to Frankfort, where that Mademoiselle 
 Hortense intended to send her." 
 
 " I scarcely know what I ought to say," replied 
 A. Z. " It is not to be expected that you will 
 remain here listening to my long stories and the 
 rain pattering against the windows, when you 
 have a good excuse for leaving." 
 
 " A reason not an excuse," said Hamilton. 
 
 "Well then," said A. Z., as she closed the win- 
 dow, " though I do not ask you to give me a lock 
 of your hair, I feel so much interested in your 
 affairs, that I hope you will ' Trust me, and let 
 me know your love's success,' in a few lines which 
 you may find time to write to me after you have 
 reached home."
 
 354 Sbe Unitials. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 ANOTHER KIND OF DISCOURSE. 
 
 ^TWENTY-FOUR hours afterwards, Hamilton 
 * was in Munich on his way to Major Stultz's. 
 He had not yet taken leave of Crescenz, and 
 hoped, when ostensibly doing so, to obtain from 
 her some information about her sister's plans and 
 prospects. His old acquaintance, Walburg, was 
 delighted to see him, informed him that " her 
 mistress was at home, quite alone the Major 
 has gone to sup with some officers who had been 
 in Russia with him " ; and while speaking, she 
 threw open the drawing-room door. Crescenz 
 turned round, and then, with a blush of pleasure 
 rose quickly and advanced towards Hamilton, 
 exclaiming, ' I knew you would not leave Bavaria 
 without coming to see me ! I said so to Blazius, 
 and to Hildegarde too ! " 
 
 " So you have spent another day at the Iron 
 Works, and can tell me how they all are." 
 
 " No," replied Crescenz ; and the smile faded 
 from her features as she added, " Hildegarde was 
 here, on her way to Frankfort. 
 
 " So she is gone actually gone ! " cried Ham- 
 ilton. 
 
 " She left us the day before yesterday. Blazius 
 says he is glad our parting is over, for I could 
 do nothing but cry all the time she was here." 
 
 " And Hildegarde ? " asked Hamilton.
 
 Bnotber f?in& of-Discouree. 355 
 
 " She appeared quite contented with her future 
 prospects, and tried to make me so too." 
 
 " Quite contented, " repeated Hamilton. 
 
 " Yes ; Blazius says she has not much feeling, 
 and that I am a fool to waste so much affection 
 on her ; but he does not know how kind she was 
 to me for so many years at school, helping me 
 out of all my difficulties, and taking my part on 
 all occasions he has no idea what Hildegarde 
 can do to those she loves ! " 
 
 " Nor I either," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Of course not," said Crescenz, smiling, " as 
 she only latterly began to like you ; but for ten 
 years she was everything to me ! After we left 
 school, indeed, or rather from the time we were 
 at Seon, she changed a good deal, certainly. You 
 know the time that " 
 
 " I know," said Hamilton. 
 
 " But when she was here last week, she was 
 just what she used to be ; I could have fancied we 
 had gone back two or three years of our lives." 
 
 " So she was quite cheerful ! " said Hamilton, 
 with a constrained smile. " It seems she felt no 
 regret at quitting the Iron Works ? " 
 
 " Not much, I should think, when you were no 
 longer there," answered Crescenz. 
 
 " What ! What do you mean ? " asked Hamil- 
 ton, eagerly. 
 
 " Why, as you were the only person who could 
 talk to her she must have found it very dull 
 after you were gone, I suppose."
 
 356 Gbe Unitials. 
 
 " Oh ! " said Hamilton, " Is that all ? Perhaps 
 she did not say as much did not speak of me at 
 all ? " 
 
 "Oh yes ; we often spoke of you," said Cres- 
 cenz, nodding her head. 
 
 " I flattered myself, at one time, that Hilde- 
 garde liked me " began Hamilton. 
 
 " She does like you she said so repeatedly, 
 and quite agreed with me in everything about 
 you, but she does not like you as Blazius thought 
 she would when you first went to the Iron 
 Works. He said then it was very inconsiderate of 
 mamma to take you there that she ought to 
 have insisted on your leaving the house when 
 papa died ! " 
 
 " She did propose my leaving," said Hamilton. 
 
 " Yes, I know that was after Blazius had 
 spoken to her and he was so angry, when he 
 heard you were going to the country, after all ! 
 He said he said " 
 
 " What ? " asked Hamilton. 
 
 " That with such opportunities, he should not 
 be at all surprised if you and Hildegarde went 
 to the devil ! He sometimes does use such 
 very improper words ! " 
 
 Hamilton could not help smiling. 
 
 "You think I am joking," she continued, " but 
 I assure you, he said such dreadful things, that 
 I cannot repeat them and I was so glad, when 
 I went to the Iron Works, to perceive that Hil- 
 degarde did not like you in that way "
 
 Bnotber "fcinJ) of Discourse. 357 
 
 " In what way ? " asked Hamilton, irresistibly 
 impelled to talk to her as he had in former 
 times. She blushed so deeply, however, and 
 became so painfully confused, that he added 
 gravely, " You mean that you saw she only liked 
 me as an acquaintance, or friend, and I believe 
 you are right." 
 
 "Yes, that is exactly what I meant," said 
 Crescenz, apparently greatly relieved, " for that 
 last day, when you seemed to like Lina Berger 
 more than you had ever done either of us, she 
 did not in the least mind it quite laughed at the 
 idea ! " 
 
 " Did she ? " said Hamilton, with a look of 
 annoyance, which Crescenz alone could have 
 failed to observe. 
 
 " Hildegarde never will tell me anything ! " 
 she continued, " but I have made a discovery all 
 the same ! " 
 
 " Have you ? " cried Hamilton, with a look of 
 interest, which her observations were seldom 
 calculated to produce. " What is it ? " 
 
 " I have found out, at last, who it is that she 
 really loves." 
 
 " Indeed ! Are you quite sure ? " 
 
 " You shall hear how I found out. Lina Ber- 
 ger came here, not to take leave of Hildegarde, 
 for you know they dislike each other but be- 
 cause she wished to hear something about you. 
 Now, Hildegarde answered all her questions with 
 the greatest composure, and when Lina found
 
 358 be Initials, 
 
 that she could not embarrass or annoy her about 
 you, she suddenly turned the conversation and 
 spoke of Count Zedwitz. The moment she pro- 
 nounced his name Hildegarde's whole counte- 
 nance changed, and then Lina went on, and told 
 her that the old Count was dying, that Dr. Berger 
 had been several times to see him, and said he 
 could not live more than a week or ten days, 
 and that, as his son had been written for, and was 
 probably on his way home, she now seriously ad- 
 vised Hildegarde not to leave Munich, or at least 
 Bavaria until all chance was over of his renewing 
 his proposal of marriage to her that is, if she 
 had still the slightest hope that such an unheard 
 of good fortune was in store for her above all 
 things she ought to avoid going to Frankfort, as, 
 notwithstanding all Count Zedwitz's professions 
 of liberality, the idea of her having been a gov- 
 erness might be revolting to him ! " 
 
 " Poor, dear Hildegarde ! " cried Hamilton, 
 compassionately. " Was she very angry ? " 
 
 " She became so pale and agitated that I ex- 
 pected some terrible scene, such as we used to 
 have at school ; but to my great surprise, she 
 thanked Lina for her good advice, though she 
 did not mean to follow it ; said she considered 
 being a governess no sort of disgrace rather 
 the contrary, as it led to the supposition at least, 
 that her acquirements were more than common, 
 and that what Count Zedwitz might think on the 
 subject was at present a matter of indifference to
 
 another fdnD of Discourse. 359 
 
 her and then she went out of the room, and did 
 not return until Lina was gone." 
 
 " But, surely, you do not infer from this that 
 she loves Zedwitz ! " cried Hamilton, cheerfully. 
 " It seems to me as if the contrary conclusion 
 might be drawn." 
 
 " You have not heard all," said Crescenz. 
 " After Lina was gone, though I knew she had 
 only been trying to vex Hildegarde, I thought 
 the advice might be good, as Blazius had said 
 several times that it would be such an excellent 
 thing if that cross old Count would die at once, 
 and leave his son at liberty to marry Hilde- 
 garde. It is very wrong to wish anybody to die, 
 but Blazius does not mind saying things of that 
 kind I don't think he means all he says though, 
 about the devil, or people being damned it 
 would be very terrible if he did and I am sure 
 he learned all those odious expressions in that 
 frightful Russian campaign " 
 
 " Well, a and so " said Hamilton, " when 
 Hildegarde again came into the room, you prob- 
 ably recommended her remaining here ? " 
 
 " Yes but you know, I never could expect 
 Hildegarde to follow my advice ! and when she 
 refused, I only just ventured, in a whisper, to 
 ask her if she thought that Count Zedwitz still 
 loved her and she said, ' Yes, better than any 
 one ever loved, or will love me better than I 
 deserve.' and then she went to the window and 
 pretended to look out, but I saw that she was
 
 360 Gbe flnftiate. 
 
 crying. I am quite sure she has made up her 
 mind to marry him, but I don't understand why 
 she is so unhappy about it, especially as he is a 
 count, and Hildegarde is so fond of rank ! " 
 
 " Is she ? " said Hamilton, absently. 
 
 " Oh yes, rank, riches, station, and somebody 
 to love her exclusively and Count Zedwitz can 
 give her all these things, you know ! " 
 
 " Very true your arguments are conclusive," 
 said Hamilton, " and now it is time for me to 
 go " 
 
 " But you will come again ! " said Crescenz ; 
 " you will come to take leave of Blazius ?" 
 
 Hamilton shook his head. 
 
 " Are you really going away forever ? " asked 
 Crescenz and her eyes filled with tears as she 
 added, in a slightly tremulous voice, " Hilde- 
 garde said we should never hear of, never see 
 you again ! " 
 
 " And she said it, I am sure, with less regret 
 than you do ! " exclaimed Hamilton bitterly. 
 
 " I dare say you think me very foolish," 
 said Crescenz, trying to smile, while large tears 
 coursed each other down her checks. 
 
 " I think you very kind," said Hamilton. 
 
 " If Blazius were at home, you would have 
 stayed a little longer, perhaps. I wish Blazius 
 were here." 
 
 Hamilton thought it was quite as well he was 
 not, but did not say so ; and after taking leave 
 of her, much more affectionately than he had
 
 ZTbe 3-ourneg t>ome Commences. 361 
 
 dared to do of her sister, he left the house con- 
 siderably more thoughtful than he had entered it. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE JOURNEY HOME COMMENCES. 
 
 LJ AMILTON left Munich the next day in the 
 ^ " mail for Frankfort ; he had secured the 
 place beside the conductor in the front part of 
 the coach, which formed a kind of open carriage, 
 and where he intended to smoke, and think, and 
 sleep undisturbed. His late conversation with 
 Crescenz had made a deep impression on him ; 
 it had again filled his mind with doubts and 
 fears, which deprived him of his habitual cheer- 
 fulness, while his usual source of amusement 
 when travelling studying the characters or 
 foibles of his companions had lost all interest 
 for him. He did not ask the name or condition 
 of any one of the persons with whom he moved 
 under the same roof a whole night and two 
 days, and no one contradicted the young student, 
 who, on leaving at Wurtzburg, observed with a 
 glance towards Hamilton, " As unsociable a 
 fellow as ever I met ! A thorough Englishman ! " 
 He wandered about the streets until the coach 
 was again ready to start, and then, although the 
 weather had completely cleared up, and the 
 country, refreshed by the rain, was by no means
 
 362 Gbe flnfttate. 
 
 uninteresting, he sunk back into his corner, and 
 overpowered by weariness, fell fast asleep. When 
 he awoke it was quite dark, and as he raised 
 himself slowly from his slumbers, the conductor 
 called out, " Halt ! who is booked for Aschaffen- 
 burg ? Who gets out here ? " 
 
 Some passenger from the inside of the coach 
 spoke, and Hamilton asked, " Is there a good 
 hotel here ? " 
 
 " Very good." 
 
 " Then let me out my legs are cramped, and 
 my head and shoulders battered and bruised. 
 I say, Hans, you can go on to Frankfort, and 
 bespeak rooms for me at the Hotel d'Angleterre. 
 Give me my carpet-bag and dressing-case, as 
 fast as you can," and Hamilton was stamping 
 his feet on the ground with a feeling of relief 
 amounting to pleasure, when a man with a lant- 
 ern came up to him and demanded his passport. 
 
 "My passport ? directly I shall be in Frank- 
 fort about twelve o'clock to-morrow, Hans," 
 cried Hamilton, as the coach drove off ; and 
 having delivered up his passport, he watched the 
 man with the lantern enter an adjacent house, saw 
 the light pass from one window to the other, 
 until it finally disappeared, and all was dark. 
 
 " This is pleasant," he said, looking around 
 him, " and I don't know the way to the hotel, or 
 even the name of it ! " 
 
 " I am here sir, with a wheelbarrow for the 
 luggage," said a voice near him, and Hamilton's
 
 Journeg f>ome Commences. 363 
 
 eyes now becoming accustomed to the darkness, 
 he perceived a man standing close to him, and a 
 dark figure at a little distance sitting among 
 some trunks and boxes. 
 
 " Can you show me the way to the best hotel ? " 
 asked Hamilton. 
 
 " To be sure I can for what else am I here 
 every night, wet or dry ! " answered the man, 
 good-humoredly, as he placed Hamilton's lug- 
 gage in the wheelbarrow. " If you have no ob- 
 jection, sir, I '11 take the lady's things too." 
 
 " By all means," said Hamilton, looking to- 
 wards the dark figure, which now rose and 
 endeavoured to assist the man to move a rather 
 large trunk. 
 
 "Allow me," said Hamilton, instantly taking 
 her place ; and everything was soon arranged. 
 
 "Thank you a thousand times," whispered the 
 lady, placing her arm within his almost famil- 
 iarly; and Hamilton, half surprised, half amused, 
 looked somewhat curiously at his companion as 
 she afterwards unreservedly drew closer to him, 
 and at last clasped her small well-gloved hands 
 over his arm. They followed for some minutes 
 in silence the man with the wheelbarrow, who 
 trudged on before them whistling ; but as they 
 drew near to one of the miserable street lamps 
 Hamilton leant forward and endeavoured rather 
 unceremoniously, to peer under his compan- 
 ion's bonnet ; a thick veil rendered the effort 
 fruitless.
 
 364 tTbe Ifnftfals, 
 
 "You wish to see my face," she said, in a 
 voice that made him stop suddenly, with an excla- 
 mation of astonishment ; and when she pushed 
 aside her veil the flickering light played dimly 
 over the well-known features of Hildegarde. 
 
 And where were Hamilton's doubts and fears at 
 that moment ? removed ? dispersed ? No ; but 
 they were dormant sleeping as soundly, perhaps 
 as uneasily, as he had been doing about an hour 
 before. He scarcely understood Hildegarde, as 
 with repeated assurances that she was very, very 
 glad to see him again, she incoherently related 
 that she had travelled to Wurtzburg with some 
 friends of Mademoiselle Hortense's ; they had 
 been very kind, and had insisted on her remain- 
 ing with them a couple of days, to recover from 
 the fatigue of her night journey ; that they had 
 accompanied her to the coach, and advised her 
 to sleep at Aschaffenburg ; that she had recog- 
 nised Hamilton's voice when speaking to Hans, 
 , had seen his face when the man demanded his 
 passport, " And then," she added, " I knew that 
 all my difficulties about travelling were at an 
 end ; so I sat down on my trunk and waited to 
 see when you would recognise me ! " 
 
 " How could I recognise your voice when you 
 whispered, or your face, when covered with that 
 impervious veil ? Indeed, it is impossible to see 
 anything at a few feet distance from these lamps, 
 which seem but intended to make the ' darkness 
 visible.' The moment you spoke I knew you."
 
 Hbe $ourneg ibome Commences. 365 
 
 " That I expected," said Hildegarde ; "other- 
 wise I should have been tempted to preserve my 
 incognito a little longer." 
 
 " I am very glad you did not but where is 
 the man with our bags and boxes ? " he cried, 
 looking round. He was no longer visible, though 
 they could still indistinctly hear the sound of 
 the jogging of the wheelbarrow over the rough 
 paving-stones in the distance. With a merry 
 laugh they ran together down the street, and 
 overtook him just as he rolled his clumsy little 
 vehicle under an archway, lighted by two hand- 
 some lamps, and where their arrival was imme- 
 diately announced by the ringing of a large bell. 
 
 They reached Frankfort the next day, just in 
 time to dine at the table d'hdte ; but Hildegarde's 
 appearance caused so many inquiries, that Ham- 
 ilton followed her to her room to advise her not 
 dining there in future. 
 
 " I shall scarcely be here to-morrow," she said, 
 pushing back her bonnet, while she rummaged a 
 little writing-desk for some paper. " Oh ! here 
 it is," she added, " Hortense's letter of introduc- 
 tion. I am sure you will be so kind as to go with 
 me to find out the house of this lady this Bar- 
 oness Waldorf ! " 
 
 " Who ? " cried Hamilton. 
 
 " Baroness Waldorf." 
 
 " Why did you not tell me it was to her you 
 were going ? " 
 
 " Because I did not think it could interest you
 
 366 Gbe umttals. 
 
 in any way I never heard you speak of her. 
 Have you seen her ? Do you know anything 
 about her ! " 
 
 " I met her at Edelhof Zedwitz is guardian 
 to her daughter." 
 
 " Oh, tell me something about her," cried 
 Hildegarde, eagerly, to Hamilton's surprise quite 
 indifferent to the latter part of his speech. " Tell 
 me all you know about her. Is she a person to 
 whom I am likely to become attached ? " 
 
 " I don't know I rather think not. Oh, Hil- 
 degarde, let me advise you, as a friend, to give 
 up this plan altogether, and go back to your 
 step-mother If you would only listen to me 
 patiently for ten minutes " 
 
 " I cannot listen to you," said Hildegarde, in- 
 terrupting him, " for I have made an engagement 
 a promise to remain a whole year, under all 
 circumstances, with the Baroness Waldorf. She 
 would not make any other sort of agreement, as 
 she is going to Florence for the winter. She 
 alone can release me from this promise but I 
 cannot say I wish it, as I rather enjoy the idea 
 of going to Italy." 
 
 " Under other circumstances I could easily 
 imagine it." 
 
 " And under what other circumstances am I 
 likely to see Italy or even the Rhine, near as 
 it now is to me." 
 
 Hamilton was silent. 
 
 "Let us go," said Hildegarde, taking up her
 
 Sourneg 1>ome Commences, 367 
 
 gloves. " You will not, I am sure, try to dis- 
 suade me any longer, when I tell you that I 
 cannot endure the life I should have to lead at 
 the Iron Works ; my habits and education have 
 unfortunately made me totally unfit for it. I 
 have made the trial, and must now with regret 
 confess that the details of domestic life are not 
 only tiresome, but absolutely disgusting to me." 
 
 " So, then," said Hamilton, " you have discov- 
 ered that riches are necessary to your happiness ? " 
 
 " Not exactly riches," replied Hildegarde, 
 little aware of the importance attached to her 
 answer, " but something beyond the actual means 
 of subsistence enough at least to insure me from 
 the vulgar cares of life, and to enable me to 
 associate with people whose habits and manners 
 are similar to mine." 
 
 " And how much would be necessary for this ? " 
 asked Hamilton, gravely. 
 
 " Oh, indeed I don't know," she answered 
 carelessly, laughing, " nor is it necessary to cal- 
 culate. That I have it not is certain ; and in 
 being a governess I see the only means of satis- 
 fying my wishes at present, and securing a com- 
 petence hereafter. If I remain ten years with 
 the Baroness Waldorf, I shall receive a pension 
 for the rest of my life." 
 
 " And do you think you could not endure 
 these vulgar cares of life, as you call them, even 
 with a person you loved ? " asked Hamilton, still 
 more earnestly.
 
 368 Gbe flnitialg. 
 
 " I shall never be tried in that way," answered 
 Hildegarde firmly, and while she walked on, 
 wholly occupied with her immediate concerns, 
 Hamilton altogether misunderstanding the mean- 
 ing of her words, concluded she referred to a 
 marriage with Zedwitz at some future period. 
 Thus unconsciously tormenting each other, they 
 reached the Baroness Waldorf's house, and find- 
 ing a burly porter lounging outside the door, they 
 asked if she was at home. 
 
 "No she was not she had gone to May- 
 ence." 
 
 " And when is she expected to return ? " asked 
 Hildegarde, anxiously. 
 
 " We do not in the least know, Mademoiselle, 
 she left very suddenly, in consequence of a letter 
 which she received. She is sometimes not more 
 than a few days absent, and most of the car- 
 riages and horses are still here. Who shall I 
 say ? " 
 
 " It is of no consequence," said Hamilton, "we 
 merely wished to know if a young lady from 
 Munich was not expected about tn. j time ? " 
 
 The man said he would inquire, entered the 
 house, but returned almost directly, saying, that 
 no one was expected, excepting perhaps Count 
 Zedwitz on his way home. 
 
 Hamilton and Hildegarde walked on together 
 for some minutes in silence ; at length the latter 
 observed, half inquiringly, " I suppose I have no 
 right to be offended with this Baroness Waldorf ?
 
 Cbe Journey fxmie Commences. 369 
 
 It must have been urgent business which could 
 make her leave Frankfort just when she ap- 
 pointed me to be here ? " 
 
 " I should think so," said Hamilton, " but she 
 might have made some arrangement for your 
 reception during her absence. This thoughtless- 
 ness about you will scarcely prepossess you in 
 her favour." 
 
 " Rich people are seldom considerate," began 
 Hildegarde, as if she intended to moralise ; but 
 suddenly stopping, she added : " You are right 
 she has placed me in a very unpleasant position 
 if she do not return in a day or two, I shall 
 neither have the means of remaining here or 
 returning home." 
 
 " Our fortunate meeting at Aschaffenburg," 
 said Hamilton, "will save you from all annoy- 
 ances of that description, as you know I can 
 arrange everything with your mother. At all 
 events, I shall not leave you now until you are 
 either at home again or residing with this to say 
 the least very thoughtless person." 
 
 " But will not delay inconvenience you ? " 
 asked Hildegarde. 
 
 " Not in the least. As far as I am concerned 
 I should be glad that the Baroness would not 
 return for six weeks ! All places are alike to me 
 where you are ; and much as we were together 
 at the Iron Works, you have more time to bestow 
 on me here ; and therefore I am proportionably 
 happier."
 
 370 Gbe Initials. 
 
 This kind of speech she never answered ; and 
 after a short pause Hamilton proposed showing 
 her the gardens which surrounded the town, and 
 in their shady walks they wandered until evening. 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 WHAT OCCURRED AT THE HOTEL D*ANGLETERRE 
 IN FRANKFORT. 
 
 THE next day after dinner, while Hamilton 
 * went to his banker's, Hildegarde looked 
 out of her window, and watched, with a sort of 
 quiet indifference, the arrival of two travelling 
 carriages at the hotel. Out of the first sprang a 
 tall large man, who, merely raising two fingers to 
 his travelling cap by way of salutation, instantly 
 disappeared and even while the heated and 
 tired horses were still being led up and down the 
 yard others were brought out, and the servant, 
 after great bustling and hurrying, followed his 
 master into the hotel. Again the cracking of 
 the whips and ringing of bells became audible, 
 and another and larger carriage arrived decid- 
 edly English. The well-built vehicle swung 
 easily with all its weight of imperials and ser- 
 vants' seats behind, and out of it stepped a tall, 
 thin gentleman, with a grey hat, a grey coat, grey 
 trousers, grey gaiters, and grey whiskers ! An 
 elderly lady followed, her face half concealed by
 
 Wbat ccurrefc at tbe t>otel D'Bngleterre. 371 
 
 her pendent lace veil, and two young and pretty 
 girls stopped for a moment to inspect the build- 
 ing they were about to enter. Hildegarde looked 
 at her watch, it was the hour that Hamilton told 
 her he would return, so she locked her door, and 
 began slowly to walk along the corridor and de- 
 scend the stairs. The English family were just 
 turning into a large suite of rooms on the first 
 floor as she passed the gentleman in grey had 
 stopped at the door, his hat fast on his head ; 
 he turned to his wife, who was entering, and ob- 
 served, quite loud enough for Hildegarde to hear, 
 " By Jove, that 's the handsomest girl I have 
 seen for a long time ! " The lady turned round 
 and deliberately raised her lorgnette to her eye, 
 while their two daughters, after a hasty glance, 
 exclaimed, " Oh, papa, I really do think she 
 understood you." Hildegarde walked quickly 
 on, but met so many servants and strangers that 
 she took refuge at last in the large dining-room, 
 which at that hour was generally quite unoc- 
 cupied. 
 
 One solitary individual sat at the enormous 
 table. He seemed to have been dining, and 
 Hildegarde walked to one of the windows without 
 looking at him. Soon after she heard him strid- 
 ing up and down the room, and as the waiter 
 entered with some fruit and confitures, he asked 
 rather impatiently, " Has my servant not yet 
 dined ? Tell him to make haste he knows we 
 have no time to lose."
 
 372 abe flnittals. 
 
 The voice was familiar to Hildegarde, she un- 
 consciously turned round to look at the speaker, 
 and was instantly recognised by Count Zedwitz, 
 who, with a look of astonishment, hurried toward 
 her, exclaiming, " Madamoiselle Rosenberg ! 
 What on earth has brought you to Frankfort ? " 
 
 " I came here intending to go to a Baroness 
 Waldorf as governess to her daughter she has 
 gone to Mayence, I hear, and 
 
 " And you are here alone, unprotected, and I 
 cannot offer to stay with you I do not know 
 if you have heard that my father is dying no 
 hope whatever of his recovery ; I only received 
 the intelligence yesterday, and am now travelling 
 night and day to reach home in time to see him 
 once more ! " 
 
 At this moment the servant entered to say 
 that the carriage was ready. 
 
 " Very well : you may go and shut the door 
 Hildegarde, I mean Mademoiselle Rosenberg 
 do not remain here. Give up this idea of 
 going to Ida Waldorf ; it will never answer 
 believe me you will be most unhappy ! " 
 
 " It must answer," said Hildegarde, " and I 
 shall not be unhappy, for the idea of being a 
 governess is familiar to me from my infancy, and 
 has therefore lost all its terrors." 
 
 " Excuse my questioning you," cried Zedwitz 
 quickly, " but may I ask how you happen to be- 
 come acquainted with the Baroness Waldorf ? " 
 
 " I do not know her at all I never saw her
 
 THHbat ccurreD at tbe f>otel &'Bn0leterre. 373 
 
 it was all arranged by Mademoiselle Hortense, 
 one of the governesses of our school." 
 
 " Did the Baroness Waldorf know your name ' " 
 asked Zedwitz, eagerly. 
 
 " At first, perhaps not," answered Hildegarde, 
 with a look of surprise, " but in the letter which 
 told her that I had left Munich, Mademoiselle 
 Hortense must have mentioned it I should 
 think my name a matter of very little import- 
 ance ! " 
 
 " In this instance, you are mistaken I I fear 
 the Baroness is not likely to return for some 
 time I " 
 
 " Her servant said she would not be long 
 absent that her leaving was quite a sudden 
 thing," observed Hildegarde. 
 
 "Her leaving when she expected you was 
 unpardonable, cruel, ungenerous ! " exclaimed 
 Zedwitz, vehemently. 
 
 " I was rather shocked at first myself, but I 
 afterwards thought she had not perhaps received 
 the letter in time 
 
 " She did receive it, I am sure she did it was 
 the letter which Oh, Mademoiselle Rosenberg, 
 do not remain here any longer return to your 
 relations, return with me now at once." 
 
 Hildegarde blushed intensely. 
 
 " I shall send my servant with the carriage," 
 he added quickly, " and we can travel in the 
 diligence, or in any way you please." 
 
 "You are very kind," said Hildegarde, but I
 
 374 tTbe flnitfals. 
 
 consider myself engaged to this Baroness Wal- 
 dorf, and until I hear from her " 
 
 " You will not hear from her, you will never 
 hear from her ! " he cried, impatiently, " and I 
 must leave you ; I cannot, dare not delay my 
 return home now ! " 
 
 Again Hildegarde blushed, she endeavoured 
 to name Hamilton, but the words died on her 
 lips, and her confusion increased every moment. 
 Some people began to stray into the room, and 
 Zedwitz added in an agitated whisper : " God 
 forgive me for thinking of anything but my 
 father when he is lying on his death-bed ; the 
 peculiarity of our position must be my excuse 
 for telling you at such a time, that my feelings 
 toward you are unchanged, unchangeable. Re- 
 turn to your family, and let me hope that time 
 may so far overcome your dislike, or indiffer- 
 ence, whichever it be " 
 
 " Oh, Count Zedwitz, it is neither," said Hilde- 
 garde, with evident effort. "I should be un- 
 worthy of such regard as you feel for me, were 
 I not now to tell you that I have long 
 loved another." 
 
 " Hamilton of course I always feared it." 
 
 Hildegarde was silent. 
 
 " If you are engaged to him, tell me so ; it is 
 the only means of effectually crushing all my 
 hopes at once ! " 
 
 "We have no engagement, he cannot enter 
 into any ; he does not even know that I regard 
 him otherwise than as a friend ! "
 
 &ccurre& at tbe f>otel S'Sntjleterre. 375 
 
 " Then listen to me Hildegarde : notwith- 
 standing all the admiration, all the love which 
 he undoubtedly feels for you now when he has 
 been some time at home among the friends and 
 companions of his youth he will forget you ! " 
 
 " I think he will," said Hildegarde with a deep 
 sigh. 
 
 " And you too will forget this youthful fancy," 
 continued Zedwitz. 
 
 " Youthful fancy ! " she repeated slowly, " I 
 fear I have neither youthful fancies nor youthful 
 feelings ; I have had no youth ! ' 
 
 " It will come like a late spring, and bestow on 
 you at once those blessings which others receive 
 so gradually, that they are insensible to them." 
 
 Hildegarde shook her head and turned to 
 the window. Zedwitz seemed to wish to say 
 something which embarrassed him. " In case 
 you should find this hotel more expensive than 
 you expected," he began in an hesitating manner. 
 
 " Oh, not at all expensive," said Hildegarde. 
 " I had no idea one could live so cheaply at 
 such a place ! " 
 
 Zedwitz looked surprised ; he would have been 
 more so if he had seen the bill which she had 
 paid Hamilton with such childish satisfaction a 
 couple of hours before. It is needless to say 
 that it had been written by him, as soon as he 
 had discovered that she had not the most remote 
 idea of the expenses of travelling, that he had 
 taken advantage of her ignorance to prevent her 
 feeling any annoyance or uneasiness.
 
 376 abe Initials. 
 
 " I cannot tell you how unwilling I am to 
 leave you," said Zedwitz, after a pause ; but go 
 I must. Until we meet again, let me indulge the 
 hope that a time may come " 
 
 Just at that moment the hotel-keeper entered 
 the room and approached the window where they 
 were standing. Zedwitz turned round, and Hil- 
 degarde in her anxiety to undeceive him, and 
 fearing he was leaving her under a false impres- 
 sion, stretched out her hand to detain him ; the 
 action was misunderstood, he caught it between 
 both his, and while she endeavoured in vain to 
 stammer a few words of explanation, he whis- 
 pered, " Thank you a thousand times, you do not 
 know how even this faint ray of hope will lighten 
 the gloominess of my present journey ! " 
 
 He then took the innkeeper aside, and spoke 
 long and earnestly to him about her, said he 
 knew her family requested him to let her know 
 every opportunity that might offer for a return 
 to Munich in respectable society gave him his 
 address, the name of his banker, and unlimited 
 credit on her account ; and just as the innkeeper, 
 with an only half suppressed smile of amusement, 
 was about to explain to him that he need not be 
 so uneasy about the lady, as she was already un- 
 der the protection of a young Englishman, Zed- 
 witz, reproaching himself for the delay which 
 had occurred, sprang into the carriage, and a 
 moment after it rolled from under the archway 
 past the window where Hildegarde still stood, a
 
 TKRbat ccurreD at tbe f>otel fr'Sngteterre. 377 
 
 prey to the most distressing and contending 
 emotions. 
 
 After waiting more than half an hour longer, 
 and Hamilton not appearing, she retired to her 
 room, supposing some unexpected business had 
 detained him ; but when several hours elapsed, 
 and he was still absent, she became uneasy. A 
 feeling of delicacy prevented her from making 
 any inquiries, and she sat at her window, long 
 after dusk, trying to discover him in every tall 
 dark figure she saw moving near the entrance or 
 in the court below. A sensation of utter loneli- 
 ness came over her, thoughts of the most melan- 
 choly description chased each other through her 
 mind ; when, from a reverie of this kind, she 
 recognised the well-known quick step, and a low 
 knock at the door made her conscious that Ham- 
 ilton was near ; all the painful reminiscences 
 uncertainties Zedwitz everything, was in a 
 moment forgotten ; and she rose quickly and 
 joyously from her chair to meet him. It was too 
 'dark for Hamilton to see the tears which still 
 lingered in her long eye-lashes, and too dark for 
 her to observe the flushed and irritated expres- 
 sion of his whole countenance. 
 
 " Shall I light the candles ? " she asked cheer- 
 fully. 
 
 " If you wish it, but I prefer the room as it is." 
 
 She sat down near him, and after a pause ob- 
 served, " You were long absent ; was there any 
 difficulty at the bankers ? "
 
 378 tTbe fFnttials. 
 
 " None whatever." Another pause then sud- 
 denly turning towards her, he said quickly, " I 
 have been thinking that as the Baroness Wal- 
 dorf has a house at Mayence, she may be longer 
 absent than her servants supposed. A few hours 
 would take you to Mayence." 
 
 " Do you think it necessary to follow her 
 there ? " 
 
 " Not exactly necessary, but why not ? You 
 have often wished to see the Rhine." 
 
 " Oh, it would be too delightful ! " exclaimed 
 Hildegarde. 
 
 " If you think so," said Hamilton, every trace 
 of annoyance disappearing from his face, " why, 
 the sooner we go the better." 
 
 " But the expense," said Hildegarde, hesitat- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Will not be greater than remaining here ; do 
 not let that weigh with you for a moment." 
 
 " Perhaps I ought to write to my mother, or 
 Hortense?" 
 
 " You cannot have an answer for several days, 
 and it is better to wait until you have seen the 
 Baroness Waldorf ; I should think whether you 
 were here or at Mayence must be a matter of in- 
 difference to them, and I am sure your mother 
 would be quite satisfied if she knew that you 
 were under my care ! " 
 
 " That I think too," said Hildegarde, " and I 
 should like to put an end to my present state of 
 uncertainty as soon as possible. I do not," she
 
 ccurrefc at tbe t>otet fc'Bngteterre. 379 
 
 continued, half laughing, " I do not feel any sort 
 of scruples about travelling with you ; I suppose, 
 because we have lived so long in the same house, 
 and I know you so well ; but when Count Zed- 
 witz to-day proposed my returning home with 
 him " 
 
 " Zedwitz ! To-day ! " repeated Hamilton, 
 amazed. 
 
 " Yes. In passing through Frankfort to-day, 
 he dined and changed horses here. I saw him 
 for a few minutes when I was waiting for your 
 return ; he strongly advised me not to go to the 
 Baroness Waldorf, and seemed, oddly enough, 
 to think she had gone away on purpose." 
 
 " Not impossible not improbable. Did he 
 explain, in any way, the cause of his suspicions ? " 
 
 " No, he had not time, his father is dying, and 
 he is, of course, most anxious to get home. He 
 he went away just as I was going to tell him 
 that you was here " she stopped, embarrassed. 
 
 " Hildegarde, let us go to Mayence," cried 
 Hamilton, abruptly. 
 
 " As early as you please to-morrow morning," 
 she answered, cheerfully. 
 
 " Not to-morrow morning this evening in 
 an hour in half an hour ! " 
 
 " But but it is night almost dark already." 
 
 " Well, what difference does that make ? " 
 
 " They told me never to travel at night ; it was 
 to avoid doing so that I stopped at Aschaffen- 
 burg."
 
 380 ttbe Initials. 
 
 " That was when you were alone, and travel- 
 ling in a public carriage." 
 
 " I do not, however, see any necessity for such 
 haste," she said quietly, "and, therefore, if you 
 have no objections, I should greatly prefer wait- 
 ing until morning." 
 
 " But I have an objection, and you will greatly 
 oblige me by leaving to-night." 
 
 " I suppose you have some very good reason 
 for what appears to me a most unnecessary exer- 
 cise of the power which chance has given you 
 over me ? " 
 
 " I have a reason," began Hamilton, and there 
 he stopped. How could he tell her that he had 
 recognised his own coat-of-arms on a carriage in 
 the yard that he had questioned the courier, 
 who was unpacking it, and discovered that the 
 same uncle who had been in Saltzburg the year 
 before, was now on his way to Baden-Baden with 
 his wife and daughters ; that he dreaded their 
 discovering Hildegarde's being with him, feared 
 the ungenerous conclusions they might draw 
 from her present position ; and that, to avoid 
 a chance meeting, he had wandered about the 
 least frequented streets, until the shades of even- 
 ing, and the certainty of their being engaged at 
 the tea-table, had enabled him to pass their 
 apartments, with the hope of not being discov- 
 ered. To attempt an explanation with Hilde- 
 garde would be sufficient to make her insist on 
 his leaving her instantly ; his only chance was to
 
 "Wflbat centred at tbe t)otel O'Bngleterre. 381 
 
 use his personal influence and try to persuade 
 her to leave Frankfort that night, before they 
 had been seen before the " strangers' book " 
 had given rise to any inquiries about them. 
 
 " Well," said Hildegarde, " I have surely a 
 right to hear your reason ? " 
 
 " Right ! Oh, if we talk of rights, it is you 
 alone who should name the day and hour of de- 
 parture you alone who have a right to dictate ; 
 but I was asking a favour, I wish most parti- 
 cularly to be in Mayence at a very early hour 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " And if we leave at three or four o'clock in 
 the morning, will not that be early enough ? " 
 
 Hamilton looked only half satisfied. 
 
 " I do not like the appearance of going off at 
 night in so sudden and mysterious a manner 
 not even with you," said Hildegarde, can- 
 didly. 
 
 " Perhaps you are right but at three o'clock 
 in the morning if the exertion be not too 
 great. " 
 
 " Oh," said Hildegarde, laughing, " you will 
 find it more difficult to be ready than I shall." 
 
 " Not to-morrow," said Hamilton ; " I shall be 
 at your door waiting for you, even before the 
 clock strikes. " And in the morning, when she 
 opened her door, there he stood. He uncon- 
 sciously stepped lighter as he passed the rooms 
 containing his sleeping relations. Hildegarde 
 pointed to them, and said they were occupied
 
 382 tTbe Initials. 
 
 by English people ; she had seen them arrive the 
 day before, had passed them on her way down 
 stairs, and, while still talking of the gre man 
 and the veiled lady Hamilton hurried her into 
 the carriage and they drove off. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 HALT ! 
 
 TT was still early when Hildegarde and Hamil- 
 ton reached Mayence ; so early, that, after 
 lingering over their breakfast an unusually long 
 time, the latter said he would make some inqui- 
 ries about the Baroness Waldorf, and Hildegarde 
 could go to her at a later hour. After a very short 
 absence he returned, and throwing himself into 
 a chair, exclaimed, " Well, certainly this is the 
 most unaccountable conduct ! " 
 
 " What is the matter ? " asked Hildegarde, 
 turning very pale, "has she left Mayence too ?" 
 
 " Yes gone again ; and without leaving any 
 message for you ! " 
 
 " There must be some extraordinary mistake 
 or confusion either on her part or Hortense's f . 
 I could almost agree with Count Zedwitz, and 
 think she was purposely avoiding me, if I had 
 not read the letters which she wrote her hopes 
 that we should be long together her regrets 
 that I was not a few years older her entreaties
 
 Dalt ! 383 
 
 that Hortense would not let me leave Munich 
 until she had found some person to take charge 
 of me : and now to leave me to wander about 
 after her in this way ! So apparently to forget 
 my existence ! It is quite incomprehensible ! " 
 
 " She has gone to Waldorf," said Hamilton, 
 " and a Waldorf is not far from Coblentz." 
 
 " You surely would not advise me to pursue 
 her farther ! " cried Hildegarde, indignantly. 
 
 " Oh, no ! I have advised, and still advise you 
 to go home." 
 
 " And yet I shall make one effort more, though 
 most unwillingly," said Hildegarde ; " I should 
 be ashamed to go home after a wild-goose chase 
 of this kind ; I must know at least what to say 
 to my relations. Suppose I were to write to the 
 Baroness, and await her answer here ? That will 
 that must explain everything." 
 
 " Write," said Hamilton, " and we can take it 
 to the post ourselves, when we go out with a 
 valet de place, who must show us everything 
 worth seeing. I dare say we can spend two 
 or three days very pleasantly here." 
 
 " I shall be dreadfully in your debt ! " observed 
 Hildegarde, blushing. 
 
 " Not at all," said Hamilton, with the most 
 serious face imaginable. " You have more than 
 enough money for all your expenses here, though 
 perhaps not quite enough to take you home." 
 
 The letter was written, and they sallied forth, 
 preceded by a loquacious valet de place, to whose
 
 384 Gbe Initials. 
 
 remarks, after the first five minutes, they did not 
 pay the slightest attention. 
 
 When they were returning to the hotel, by a 
 newly-made walk along the banks of the Rhine. 
 Hildegarde stopped to look at a new and beauti- 
 fully-built steamboat, on which there was a pla- 
 card hung up to say that she would sail the next 
 morning for Cologne. 
 
 " Should you like to see the interior, Hilde- 
 garde ? " 
 
 " Oh, of all things ! " and the steamboat was 
 examined with a degree of curiosity, interest, 
 and admiration, of which those accustomed to 
 the sight from infancy can form no idea. The 
 captain of the ship, who happened to be on 
 board, attracted probably by her appearance, had 
 every drawer and cupboard opened for her in- 
 spection, and Hamilton was beginning to find his 
 explanations rather long and tiresome, when he 
 suddenly concluded them by hoping that she was 
 to be one of his passengers the next day. 
 
 " We have not yet quite decided," said Hamil- 
 ton, laughing at her embarrassment ; " though I 
 do not," he added, turning to her, " I do not in 
 fact see what there is to prevent us." 
 
 " We shall have fine weather," observed the 
 captain, " and shall be in Cologne in good time 
 in the evening." 
 
 " I don't think we could do better, Hildegarde," 
 said Hamilton, in a low voice in English. 
 
 " I am afraid it would be improper wrong,
 
 Dalt ! 385 
 
 without any object but amusement ! just con- 
 sider for a moment." 
 
 " I cannot," said Hamilton, " see any greater 
 impropriety in your passing a day or two in a 
 crowded steamboat, than at a hotel along with 
 me rather less, perhaps, but I deny the impro- 
 priety altogether, when I take into considera- 
 tion that I have been one of your family 
 for the last year, and that you have learned so 
 completely to consider me a friend almost a 
 relation." 
 
 "That istrue,"said Hildegarde, "but still 
 
 "Then," continued Hamilton, "you cannot 
 have an answer to your letter for three days at 
 least we shall be back just in time to receive it. 
 Whether we pass to-morrow night at Cologne or 
 Mayence, is quite unimportant, and I should like 
 to show you the Rhine scenery. Let it be here- 
 after associated in your mind with your recollec- 
 tions of me ! " 
 
 This last sentence was pronounced half 
 pathetically, half beseechingly, and Hildegarde 
 made no further opposition to a plan which ac- 
 corded but too well with her own inclinations. 
 
 We will spare our readers the description of 
 the impression made on her by the Rheingeau, 
 Johannisberg, the Lurlei, Coblentz, Rolandseck, 
 the Drachenfels, etc., etc., etc. 
 
 " What a pretty room ! " said Hildegarde to 
 Hamilton, who had followed her up the stairs of 
 the Hotel Bellevue at Deutz. " What a pretty 
 
 VOL. II. 25
 
 386 Gbe flnittalg. 
 
 room ! We have a complete view of the Rhine, 
 and quite overlook the garden. I really should 
 like to stay here a week if I dared." 
 
 " I have no objection," said Hamilton, laugh-- 
 ing, " though I have just heard there are so many 
 princes and serene highnesses in the house that 
 I must sleep on the sofa in this room, if you have 
 no objection ; for only this and the bedroom 
 adjoining are to be had." 
 
 The waiter entered the room just at this mo- 
 ment to inquire if M. and Madame would sup 
 there, or at the table d'hdte. 
 
 " Here," said Hamilton, and he blushed deeply, 
 as he turned to Hildegarde, who was sitting on 
 the window stool, but no longer looking at the 
 Rhine, or into the garden she had fixed her 
 eyes on the door as the waiter closed it, and with 
 parted lips and slightly contracted brows, seemed 
 expecting to hear more. 
 
 " You look quite shocked at that man's stupid 
 mistake," said Hamilton, with affected careless- 
 ness. 
 
 " It was not a stupid mistake ; it was a very 
 natural conclusion." 
 
 " You mean on account of the rooms, perhaps ? 
 Don't let that annoy you, for you shall have un- 
 disturbed possession of both I dare say I can 
 get a bed at one of the inns at the other side of 
 the river indeed, I should have proposed it 
 at once, only I did not like to leave you here 
 alone."
 
 1>alt ! 387 
 
 " I am afraid you will think me very selfish," 
 said Hildegarde. 
 
 " Not at all." 
 
 " Unnecessarily prudish, then ? " 
 
 " Rather." 
 
 " You are right," she said with a sigh, " after 
 having gone off with you in this this very 
 thoughtless manner, any attempt at prudery is 
 preposterous ridiculous ! There is, in fact, no- 
 thing to prevent your sleeping in this room, if 
 you do not fear the sofa being too uncomfort- 
 able." 
 
 " There is something to prevent me," said 
 Hamilton, " and that is, you do not wish it. I 
 will go at once across the bridge, and if there be 
 any room to be had, not quite at the other end 
 of the town, I shall not return until morning." 
 
 " But had you not better wait until after 
 supper ? " 
 
 " It is scarcely advisable, for at this time of 
 the year there are so many travellers, that nothing 
 in the neighbourhood may be to be had ; and 
 you know we start early." While he spoke, how- 
 ever, the waiter appeared with the tray containing 
 their supper, and half blushing, half laughing, 
 they sat down together, and between talking and 
 eating, in the course of a few minutes, forgot all 
 about the matter. 
 
 It was the waiter, the " stupid man," who was 
 again to remind them of the impropriety of their 
 conduct. He had returned to say that the band
 
 388 ttbe Initials. 
 
 of one of the regiments at Cologne would play in 
 the garden perhaps Madame would like a table 
 and chair to be kept for her ? 
 
 Hamilton did not venture to look at his com- 
 panion, as he refused the offered civility, but 
 snatching up his hat, hurried away as fast as he 
 could. 
 
 But he returned, and very soon too, and great 
 was his annoyance to find Hildegarde already in 
 her room, and the door closed ; he walked back- 
 wards and forwards, not very patiently or quietly, 
 for about ten minutes, and then knocked. 
 
 " Good night," said Hildegarde. 
 
 " I am sorry to tell you that I have not been 
 able to find a room, excepting in a very out-of- 
 the-way place : as the packet leaves so early, 
 and I am so apt to be late, I thought it better to 
 ask you what I should do ? " 
 
 " I am very sorry," began Hildegarde. 
 
 "So am I," said Hamilton, "but as it cannot 
 be helped, I think you might just as well come 
 out here for an hour, and talk over our journey 
 back." 
 
 " I am going to bed ; I am tired." 
 
 " Have you any objection to my smoking a 
 cigar, if I open the window ? " 
 
 " None whatever, you may smoke a dozen if 
 you like." 
 
 He opened the window and leaned out to 
 watch the gay scene which was passing below 
 him. The garden was crowded with guests, and
 
 t>alt! $80 
 
 well lit with candles, protected from the wind by 
 glass globes ; the murmuring of voices, and gay 
 laughter reached him, and had he not still enter- 
 tained a faint hope of seeing Hildegarde again, 
 he would have joined the revellers, not in the 
 hope of actual enjoyment, but to banish thoughts 
 which were crowding thick upon him, and pro- 
 ducing a state of nervous irritation most unusual 
 to him. He felt so provoked at Hildegarde's 
 tranquil, friendly manner ; it contrasted so pain- 
 fully with his own state of feverish uncertainty, 
 that the jealous vision of Zedwitz unrepulsed, 
 rose, more and more distinctly before him. 
 Would not the situation of governess be intoler- 
 able to one of her proud nature ? and after 
 having tried it, would she not joyfully accept the 
 hand of Zedwitz, who, she said, "loved her 
 better than anyone ever did better than she 
 deserved ? " These thoughts at length became 
 intolerable, and with one bound he was again 
 at, her door. 
 
 " Hildegarde, the band is beginning to play 
 in the garden ; will you not come to listen to 
 it?" 
 
 " No, thank you." 
 
 " But you have not yet gone to bed, I hope ? " 
 
 There was no answer audible. 
 
 " You ha v e not yet gone to bed ? I want to 
 speak to you open the door, I beg I entreat." 
 
 "Whatever you have to say can be said to- 
 morrow just as well as now."
 
 390 ftbe fnittals. 
 
 " I should rather say it now." 
 
 " And I should rather hear it to-morrow." 
 
 Hamilton knew her too well to persevere, and 
 returned again to his window, where he remained 
 for more than an hour, unconscious of every- 
 thing passing beneath him, and merely hearing 
 a confused sound of instruments, which had the 
 effect of producing an almost painful feeling of 
 fatigue. He closed the window, and looked 
 rather despondingly round the room, which, as a 
 dormitory, promised but few comforts, he extin- 
 guished the candles, and then threw himself at 
 full length upon the sofa : he had been thinking 
 intensely, and as he lay there in the darkened 
 chamber, he resolved that another night should 
 not find him in his present state of uncertainty ; 
 and why should he endure it now ? Why not 
 know his fate at once ? He would insist on 
 Hildegarde's listening to him, and answering him 
 too ! Starting up, his eyes were instantly riv- 
 etted on a line of bright light visible under her 
 door ; she was still awake ; up perhaps. He 
 knocked, and observed in a low voice, as he 
 leaned against the door, " Hildegarde, I cannot 
 sleep ! " 
 
 " I am so sorry ! " she answered " the sola, 
 I suppose " 
 
 " Yes, the sofa," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I wish," she said, coming toward the door, * ; I 
 wish I could resign this room to you, but " 
 
 " There is no necessity ; give me some of the
 
 -fcalt! 391 
 
 pillows which you do not want, and I shall be 
 quite comfortable." 
 
 " How stupid of me not to have thought of 
 that before ! " she exclaimed, opening the door. 
 " When you were absent I could have arranged 
 everything, but the fact is, I have been for the 
 last two hours thinking really thinking, more 
 than I have ever done in my life ! " 
 
 " So have I," said Hamilton, quite overlooking 
 the pillows she was collecting for him. " Sup- 
 pose we compare thoughts ? " 
 
 " Not now, to-morrow." 
 
 " Now, now ; this very instant," he said, seat- 
 ing himself on the sofa, and motioning to her to 
 take the place beside him. She shook her head, 
 and continued standing, 
 
 " What on earth do you mean by this reserve 
 this unusual prudery ? " he continued, moving 
 towards the side against which she was leaning. 
 
 " Nothing," she said, drawing back, " I only 
 think it would be better to defer anything you 
 wish to speak about until to-morrow, it is so late 
 so very late." 
 
 " This is not the first time we have been together 
 at midnight," said Hamilton, laughing ; but as 
 he spoke she blushed so deeply, that he added, 
 seriously, " When there was any impropriety in 
 it, I told you ; you may believe me now, when I 
 tell you there is none ! " 
 
 "You are not quite infallible, I fear," she said 
 sorrowfully, " for you did not see any impro-
 
 392 Gbe initiate. 
 
 priety in my travelling alone with you here, and I 
 now both see and feel it, and shall regret it all 
 my life ! " 
 
 " Good heavens ! " exclaimed Hamilton. 
 " Have I ever said or done anything " 
 
 " Oh, no, never never ! " cried Hildegarde, 
 interrupting him. 
 
 "Then why withdraw your confidence from 
 me, if I have not done anything to forfeit it ? " 
 
 " I have the same confidence in you I ever 
 
 had," she answered, with a sigh ; " but I 
 
 have unfortunately lost all confidence in my- 
 self ! " 
 
 " How do you mean ? " 
 
 " I have discovered that it was not a wish to 
 see the Rhine or be in a steamboat which made 
 me leave Mayence with you." 
 
 " And what was it, then ? " cried Hamilton, 
 eagerly. 
 
 " It was the desire to be with you to enjoy 
 your society undisturbed for a few days before 
 we parted forever ! " 
 
 " Not forever," said Hamilton. 
 
 " I am ashamed to think how easily I allowed 
 myself to imagine that I ought to follow this 
 Baroness Waldorf to Mayence, still more so to 
 think how soon I stifled my scruples about com- 
 ing here and so effectually, too, that the whole 
 obvious impropriety never struck me until this 
 evening, when the waiter " 
 
 " Was guilty of the horrible supposition that
 
 t>alt ! 393 
 
 you were my wife ! Would that be so dreadful ? " 
 asked Hamilton. 
 
 " The waiter showed me by this simple re- 
 mark," she continued, without noticing his inter- 
 ruption, " that I ought never to have been with 
 you as I have been under any other circum- 
 stances, and I felt condemned at once. I must 
 return home to my step-mother." 
 
 " Perhaps for a couple of years, it would be 
 the best thing you could do," said Hamilton. 
 
 " To my step-mother or to Mademoiselle 
 Hortense ? " she said, musingly, as she seated 
 herself on a chair, and unconsciously moved it 
 towards him. " Of course I have given up all 
 idea of going to the Baroness Waldorf." 
 
 " I am glad to hear it. I never liked the 
 plan." 
 
 " And I am so sorry to be obliged to give it 
 up ! " 
 
 " Do not regret it it would not have an- 
 swered. I never saw anyone for whom the 
 situation of governess was less eligible, not- 
 withstanding your excellent education and extra- 
 ordinary talent for languages." 
 
 " Eligible ! " repeated Hildegarde. " You are 
 right. I am no longer eligible I am no longer 
 fit to direct the education of of any girl ! " 
 
 " I hope you will never speak to anyone else 
 in this manner," said Hamilton, gravely. "You 
 would make people suppose you had been guilty 
 of some serious misdemeanor."
 
 394 tlbe fnttfate. 
 
 " I have been guilty of a misdemeanor," said 
 Hildegarde, despondingly, " and one which I 
 should think it necessary to confess to the 
 Baroness Waldorf before I entered her house ; 
 having done so, I conclude she would refuse to 
 resign her daughter to my care. To avoid the 
 merited mortification, I shall go home, tell every- 
 thing to Hortense, and be guided by her advice 
 for the next year or two. And now," she added, 
 " I have only one thing more to observe, and that 
 is, that we ought to repair our thoughtlessness as 
 well as we can, or, rather, avoid a continuation 
 of it, by separating at once. 1 shall return to 
 Mayence to-morrow, and you must go on to 
 England." 
 
 " I will go to Scotland, if you will go with 
 me, Hildegarde," said Hamilton. "Don't be 
 angry, I am not joking. I have listened to the 
 subject of your two hours' meditation, and now 
 I expect you to listen to mine." And he entered 
 into a long and, all things considered, not very 
 prejudiced exposition of the state of his affairs 
 informed her of the ^5,000 pounds which he 
 should inherit in two years, and after hoping that 
 they could contrive to buy something and live 
 somewhere with that sum, ended, as he had be- 
 gun, by proposing her going with him to Scot- 
 land, and then returning to her mother until he 
 could claim her altogether. 
 
 She listened in silence, the expression of deep 
 attention changing by degrees into surprise and
 
 f>alt t 395 
 
 perplexity. It was the first time that the idea of 
 a marriage with him had entered her mind ; she 
 had taught herself to consider it so completely 
 an impossibility that his occasional outbursts of 
 passion or tenderness had ceased to make any 
 impression on her. Ashamed of the confession 
 which she had so ingenuously made to him just 
 before, and not prepared for the sudden change 
 of feelings which his words produced, she turned 
 away, and when he paused for an answer, did not 
 even make an attempt to speak. 
 
 As Hamilton waited in vain for an answer, his 
 former doubts became certainties she liked, but 
 did not love him. With a difficulty in utterance, 
 in strong contrast to his former fluency, he now 
 stammered out his hopes that he had not de- 
 ceived himself as to the nature of her feelings 
 towards him. 
 
 " No oh no," answered Hildegarde, but with- 
 out turning round. 
 
 " And you do or will try to love me sufficiently 
 
 " Why force me to make unnecessary confes- 
 sions," she said, with a deep blush ; " rather let 
 me ask you when you heard that you would in- 
 herit this fortune which makes you independent. 
 In Frankfort, perhaps ? " 
 
 " No," replied Hamilton, " I knew it when I 
 was a child, and considered it then, though not 
 quite a fortune, certainly a very large sum of 
 money."
 
 396 tTbc f nitiats. 
 
 " And is it not a very large sum of money ? " 
 
 " For a boy to buy playthings and ponies, yes ; 
 
 but for a man to live upon " he paused ; there 
 
 was too much intelligence in her eager glance. 
 
 " For a man " she said, " brought up as you have 
 been, it is probably too little nothing ! " 
 
 "Not so," cried Hamilton, quickly. "With 
 my present ideas and feelings it is a competence 
 it is all I require all I wish." 
 
 " You could then, have married Crescenz if 
 you had desired it ? " she said, slowly. 
 
 " I could never have loved her well enough to 
 induce me to make the sacrifice " 
 
 " The sacrifice ! And it is great very great, 
 perhaps ? " 
 
 " It ceases to be one when made for you." 
 
 " And you have only lately only very lately, 
 perhaps, been able to resolve on this sacrifice ? " 
 
 " Let me use your own words, Hildegarde. 
 Do not force me to make unnecessary confes- 
 sions," said Hamilton, blushing more deeply than 
 she herself had done. 
 
 She leaned on the table, and bent her head 
 over her hands. Hamilton felt very uncomfort- 
 able. " I expected," he said, at length, with 
 some irritation, " I expected that this explanation 
 would have been differently received." 
 
 " I wish," she answered, " it had never been 
 made. I would rather have remembered you as 
 I thought you dependent on your father's will 
 having no option."
 
 t>alt ! 397 
 
 " This is too much ! " cried Hamilton, starting 
 from the sofa, and striding up and down the 
 room. " I have fallen in your esteem when but 
 you do not understand." 
 
 " Probably not quite, but this is evident to me, 
 the sacrifice must be something enormous be- 
 yond what I can imagine or you would not have 
 hesitated so long, for I think yes I am sure 
 you love me." 
 
 Hamilton stopped opposite to her, and ex- 
 claimed, " Oh, Hildegarde, how can you torture 
 me in this manner ! " 
 
 " I would rather torture myself," she said, 
 " but," and she looked at him steadily, " but I 
 must nevertheless tell you that I cannot, will not, 
 accept your sacrifice ! " 
 
 " Then, Hildegarde, you do not love me," he 
 cried impetuously. 
 
 " Do I not ? Can you not see that I am giving 
 the greatest proof of it of which I am capable ? 
 Can you not believe that I, too, can make a sac- 
 rifice ? " 
 
 "I understand and appreciate your motives 
 better than you have done mine," he answered. 
 " Wounded pride is assisting your magnanimity. 
 You are mortified at my having hesitated delib- 
 erated it was prudent, perhaps, but I am heartily 
 sorry for it now. I see it has made you so con- 
 trol your thoughts and inclinations that friend- 
 ship, and not love, is all I have obtained for an 
 affection deserving something more if you knew
 
 flnitials. 
 
 but all " he paused ; but as Hildegarde made 
 
 no attempt to speak, he continued, " I thought, 
 when we met at Aschaffenburg, I hoped, from 
 what you said just now that Hildegarde ! " he 
 cried vehemently, " you require too much from 
 me ; spoiled by adulation, you expect me, with- 
 out a struggle, to change my nature, my habits, 
 and my manners ! I cannot rave like your 
 cousin " 
 
 Hildegarde became deadly pale, she tried to 
 speak, and moved her lips, but no sound issued 
 from them. 
 
 " Nor," he continued, still more vehemently ; 
 " nor can I bear repulses, like Zedwitz ! " 
 
 Hamilton heard her murmur the words " un- 
 generous unj ust. " 
 
 " Forgive me, Hildegarde ; I spoke in anger, 
 and am sorry for it I ought not to have named 
 your cousin can you forgive me ? " 
 
 She held out her hand in silence. 
 
 " Now," he said, seating himself beside her, 
 "don't let us ask each other any more questions, 
 or talk any more of sacrifices ; but, like a dear 
 love, you will promise to go to England with me 
 to-morrow ! won't you ? " 
 
 She remained silent, her eyes cast down, while 
 she slowly shook her head. 
 
 " You will not ? " 
 
 " I dare not," she answered, gently ; but ob- 
 serving him again about to start up, she laid her 
 hand on his arm, and continued, " Do not ask
 
 f>alt ! 399 
 
 me to do what may cause us both unhappiness 
 hereafter. I will enter into an engagement with 
 you on reasonable terms." 
 
 " Oh on reasonable terms ! " he repeated iron- 
 ically. 
 
 "I cannot go on you are too unkind," she 
 said, while the tears started to her eyes. 
 
 A long and painful pause ensued. Hamilton 
 broke it by saying, " \V ell, what are your terms 
 anything is better than nothing name them 
 I agree to everything provided I may claim you 
 in two years." 
 
 " Even if you do not," said Hildegarde, " I 
 promise to forgive you." 
 
 " And forget me too, perhaps," said Hamilton, 
 with a forced smile. 
 
 " That I cannot promise ; but it is of little 
 consequence what concerns me. You must 
 return home for these two years, weigh well this 
 sacrifice which you must make ; it will not be 
 altogether a pecuniary one, for I suppose there is 
 not the slightest chance of obtaining the consent 
 of your family to our marriage ; and as you spoke 
 of residing in Germany, I conclude you must 
 give up all your relations and your country 
 too ? " 
 
 " Go on," said Hamilton, without moving, or 
 looking at her. 
 
 " I shall consider myself bound by a promise, 
 which I now freely make, to await your decision 
 you are free."
 
 Gbe -ffnitials. 
 
 " Go on," he again repeated, as he had done 
 before. 
 
 " What can you desire more ? " 
 
 " Why, nothing, though I almost expected you 
 to propose committing to paper, in due form, 
 this most rational ' engagement on reasonable 
 terms,' " and he drew some paper towards him 
 as he spoke, and took up a pen ; directly, how- 
 ever, throwing it down, he exclaimed passion- 
 ately, " Oh, Hildegarde, this will never do ! 
 Much as I admire your decision of character, 
 and freedom from the usual weaknesses of your 
 sex, I I did hope I do wish that for once you 
 would be like a girl of your age ! I am ready, 
 without regret, to leave all my relations and 
 friends, give up all my hopes of fame or suc- 
 cess in life expatriate myself forever " 
 
 " I see, I understand now," cried Hildegarde, 
 interrupting him. " A man has hopes of fame, 
 expectations of success in life. We have noth- 
 ing of that kind, and, therefore, our love is per- 
 fectly exclusive, all-absorbing." 
 
 " Not yours," said Hamilton, " though I confess 
 I expected something of the kind from you, 
 some little enthusiasm at least ; however, our 
 contract is made, irrevocably even though I see 
 and feel that your love is of the very coldest 
 description, in fact, scarcely deserving the 
 name." 
 
 " Oh, why," cried Hildegarde, with all her 
 natural vehemence of manner, " why is there no
 
 1>alt ! 401 
 
 sacrifice that I can make to convince you that 
 you are mistaken ! There is none I would not 
 make, provided it were not injurious to you." 
 
 Hamilton shook his head and turned away. 
 
 " You do not believe me ? Try me ask any 
 proof anything." 
 
 He started from his seat, walked to the win- 
 dow, threw it wide open, and leaned as far out 
 as he could in the night air. 
 
 All this was too much for Hildegarde, her 
 efforts had been great to conceal her feelings, 
 and she perceived she had been misunderstood ; 
 her sincere desire to act magnanimously had been 
 treated with contempt ; Hamilton, whom she 
 had learned to trust without reserve or exam- 
 ination, was displeased, angry with her, perhaps. 
 Perplexed, worried, and wearied, she did at 
 length, what it would have been better had she 
 done half an hour before ; she covered her face 
 with her handkerchief, and burst into tears. 
 
 The moment Hamilton turned round and 
 perceived that she was crying as heartily as could 
 be desired of any girl of her age, he forgot his 
 anger at her unexpected opposition to his wishes, 
 and rushing towards her, commenced an in- 
 coherent succession of excuses, entreaties, and 
 explanations. It would have been difficult for a 
 third person to have known what he meant ; 
 Hildegarde, however, seemed to understand him 
 perfectly. In a short time she began to look up, 
 and smile again, and in about a quarter of an
 
 402 Gbe Initials. 
 
 hour they were discussing their future plans in 
 the most amicable manner imaginable. Once 
 more Hamilton had recourse to the pen and pa- 
 per, but this time it was to make a sketch of the 
 peasant's house near Hohenfels, which was to be 
 their home two years hence. He would write to 
 
 the Z s about it directly, or go to them ; that 
 
 would be better still ! 
 
 No ; Hildegarde thought it would be wiser to 
 wait until he could purchase. 
 
 " We shall have cows, and calves, and all those 
 sort of things, I suppose ? " said Hamilton. 
 
 " I should think so," replied Hildegarde, very 
 gravely. 
 
 " I wonder shall we be able to keep a pair of 
 horses ? " said Hamilton. 
 
 " Cart-horses ? Perhaps we may," answered 
 Hildegarde, merrily. 
 
 " No ; but seriously, Hildegarde, I should 
 like to know how many servants we shall 
 have ! " 
 
 "Very few, I suspect," said Hildegarde, "and 
 therefore, directly I return to my mother, I shall 
 endeavour to learn to be really useful." 
 
 "But," said Hamilton, "but these domestic 
 details, which were so disgusting to you these 
 vulgar cares " 
 
 " All, all will now be full of interest," said 
 Hildegarde, laughing ; " I really feel as if I 
 could even learn to cook ! " 
 
 " No, no ; I do not wish that, we shall cer-
 
 tmlt t 403 
 
 tainly have a cook ! A. Z. seemed to think we 
 could get on quite comfortably if we lived in the 
 country ! I shall not at all mind going out with 
 the plough if it be necessary, and you you can 
 spin, you know ; nothing I admire so much as a 
 graceful figure at a spinning-wheel ; you shall 
 have one made of ebony, and but can you 
 spin ? " 
 
 " Not yet, but I can easily learn, and in time, 
 I dare say, we shall have a whole press full of 
 linen." 
 
 " Oh, I am sure we shall get on famously ; the 
 
 Z s are not at all rich rather poor, I believe, 
 
 and they are so happy, and really live so respecta- 
 bly they will be our neighbours, and I am sure 
 you will like them." 
 
 " I remember, I rather liked her at Seon, be- 
 cause she lent me books," observed Hildegarde. 
 
 " They will be society for us that is, if we 
 
 ever want any. Baron Z is very cheerful, 
 
 and his wife is really a very sensible woman. 
 She understands housekeeping, and soapmaking, 
 and all that sort of thing, and will be of great 
 use to you, I am sure. Then I shall rent half 
 their alp, and send up our cows there in summer, 
 and then we shall go to look after them, and 
 
 make little parties with the Z s. I must tell 
 
 you all about that." 
 
 And he did tell her all about that, and so many 
 other things too, that the night wore away the 
 candles burnt down, and as at length the flame
 
 404 Cbe f nftfale. 
 
 extinguished itself in the melted wax, they looked 
 at each other in the grey, cold light of breaking 
 day! 
 
 The two days which Hamilton and Hildegarde 
 passed in the Rhine steamboat, on their return 
 to Mayence, were the happiest of their still so 
 youthful lives. As they sat together, watching 
 the beautiful windings of the river, or glancing 
 up the sides of the wooded mountains, the most 
 perfect confidence was established between them. 
 The events of the last year were discussed with 
 a minuteness which proved either that their 
 memories were exceedingly retentive, or that 
 the most trifling circumstances of that period 
 had been full of unusual interest to both. Their 
 confessions and explanations were not ended 
 even when they reached Mayence, where Hilde- 
 garde found a letter from the Baroness Waldorf. 
 As she gave it to Hamilton, she observed: "After 
 what you told me this morning, I can pardon, 
 though I cannot approve of her conduct she 
 says, however, that she wrote to Hortense to 
 prevent my leaving Munich, and I am glad of it, 
 as it will save me from all explanations, and I 
 can show both my mother and Hortense this 
 letter too ; so everything has ended just as we 
 could have wished." 
 
 " Yes," said Hamilton, " and we will endea- 
 vour to believe all the Baroness's excuses I 
 dare say she has changed all her plans and
 
 1>alt ! 405 
 
 perhaps, she may not engage a governess for her 
 daughter for a year or two ; we will also consent 
 to her marriage with Zedwitz to whom she is 
 as attached as such a person can be though she 
 is not likely to rise in his estimation by the proof 
 which she has given of her jealousy but what 
 do you mean to do with this order on her banker 
 at Frankfort this peace-offering which she so 
 diffidently calls her debt ? " 
 
 " I should like very much to return it," 
 said Hildegarde, hesitatingly. 
 
 " I thought so," said Hamilton, " and in the 
 meanwhile I can write to A. Z., to let her know 
 that if we are all alive in two years we shall be 
 
 together, and to request Baron Z to enter 
 
 into negotiations with that Felsenbauer, the 
 peasant on the rocks, as he is called. I shall 
 tell A. Z. to send you my journal : it may amuse 
 you to read it, and in the margin you must 
 write whatever is necessary in explanation, or, 
 in short, whatever you think likely to interest us 
 when we look it over at the end of ten or twelve 
 years. A journal, you know, like mine, is mar- 
 vellously improved by age ! " 
 
 Hamilton accompanied Hildegarde on her 
 way home as far as she would allow him the 
 last day's journey she chose to be alone, and at 
 Ingolstadt they parted. For two years ? Or 
 for ever ?
 
 406 Gbe initials. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 HP HE RE may be some, there maybe many of 
 my readers who would think that Hamilton 
 had been a ''confounded fool," were they to 
 hear that, at the appointed time, he braved the 
 threats, resisted all the bribes of his uncle, re- 
 mitted his five thousand pounds to Munich, and 
 returned to Bavaria, with the intention there to 
 live and die, " the world ( viz., London ) forget- 
 ting, by the world forgot." We do not wish him 
 to fall in the opinion of anyone, and therefore 
 request all persons disposed to entertain such an 
 opinion of him, under such circumstances, to 
 close this book, and imagine he acted as they 
 would have done in his place. Often have vows 
 as solemn as his been broken, and for the same 
 mercenary motives which might have tempted 
 him ; and if the world have not applauded, 
 it has at least not censured such derelictions in a 
 manner to deter others from practising them. 
 
 Suppose him, then, reader, ( not gentle reader, 
 for such would never consent to the supposi- 
 tion,) suppose him at the end of two years, a 
 man of the world, or a worldly man, whichever 
 you please, Hildegarde not exactly forgotten, 
 but remembered only as a "beautiful girl with 
 whom he had been at one time so much in love 
 as to have entertained the absurd idea of rusti-
 
 Conclusion. 40? 
 
 eating with her on a couple of hundred pounds 
 per annum in the Bavarian Highlands ! " Sup- 
 pose him attached to some embassy, young, 
 handsome, and rich, the chosen partner of all 
 still dancing princesses ! Or suppose we put an 
 end to Uncle Jack at once, and allow Hamilton, 
 without further delay, to inherit a fortune which 
 would give him a position in the London and 
 Yorkshire world ; if you wish it, we can double 
 his income too in books, fifty or sixty thousand 
 a year is quite a common thing, and as to old 
 uncles, they are only mentioned in order that 
 they may die, just when their fortune is neces- 
 sary to the happiness or comfort of younger or 
 
 more interesting persons. Suppose Suppose 
 
 Suppose you close the book, as before 
 
 recommended, for nothing of this kind occurred. 
 Uncle Jack ( who in his youth had taken a trip 
 to Gretna Green ) might have pardoned his 
 nephew's " loving not wisely, but too well " ; but 
 he neither would do so, nor would he die, and 
 so Hamilton, after having listened to his father's 
 reproaches and expostulations, endured his 
 brother's sneers, and steadily set at defiance 
 his uncle's anger, returned to Munich and 
 claimed his bride, of whose coldness or want of 
 enthusiasm he was never afterward heard to 
 complain. 
 
 Felsenbauer's little property was purchased, 
 and Hans, after having officiated as Hamilton's 
 '" gentleman " for two years in England, returned
 
 408 Gbe IFnttiats. 
 
 to his primitive occupation of directing the 
 plough not quite, indeed, with the satisfaction 
 of a Cincinnatus, for years elapsed before he 
 ceased to regret his fallen greatness, or to expa- 
 tiate to his few ignorant fellow-servants on the 
 splendors of his master's home. 
 
 Hamilton resigned himself more cheerfully 
 than his servant to his change of fortune ; he 
 never spoke of home, with which his communi- 
 cation became very indirect and uncertain from 
 the time his sister had married and gone to 
 reside in the north of Scotland. His brother 
 John seldom wrote, his father and uncle never ; 
 he made no effort to conciliate the latter, not 
 even taking advantage of the occasions, which 
 presented themselves at a later period, of re- 
 questing him to become a godfather to a little 
 Jack or a little Joan. He became a good 
 farmer, a keen sportsman, and so celebrated as 
 a rifle shot, that he was feared as a competitor at 
 all the Scheiben-Schiessen in the neighbourhood. 
 He generally wore a mountaineer's dress per- 
 haps because it was comfortable, perhaps, also, 
 because it was becoming ; and in the course of a 
 few years his family would scarcely have recog- 
 nised him in the vigorous, sunburnt man, whose 
 very features were changed in expression by his 
 altered mode of life energy and strength had 
 taken the place of ease and gracefulness. A. Z. 
 pronounced the change advantageous, and often 
 said it would have been difficult to have found a
 
 Conclusion. 409 
 
 more picturesquely bandit-looking figure than 
 his when, on a return from the hunt, he sprang 
 on the rocky path leading to his mountain home, 
 his slouched hat shading the upper, as much as 
 his long moustache the lower part of his face. 
 
 As to Hildegarde, the calm, contented tenor 
 of her life preserved her beauty in so remarkable 
 a manner, that Hamilton seriously believed she 
 
 grew handsomer every year ; they and the Z s 
 
 almost lived together, no summer heat or winter 
 storm kept them asunder ; their alpine parties, 
 and sledging expeditions to the neighbouring 
 balls were made together, and many a little 
 adventure is still remembered by both families, 
 with a mixture of amusement and regret regret 
 that those times are past gone never to return 
 again. 
 
 At the end of eight years Uncle Jack, unso- 
 licited, relented, and Hamilton was recalled. 
 Can it be believed that for some days he hesitated 
 to obey the mandate ? that Hildegarde wept bit- 
 terly for the first time since her marriage ? But 
 so it was. The offers which, ten years before, 
 would have filled their hearts with gratitude and 
 joy, were now accepted as a sacrifice made to 
 the future prospects of their children. A. Z. to 
 the last insisted that she would be the greatest 
 sufferer of all. " In you," she said, turning to 
 Hildegarde, " I lose the most patient and intelli- 
 gent of listeners ; in your husband, the most 
 attentive of friends ; eight years' intimate inter-
 
 410 tlbe flnitials. 
 
 course, such as ours has been, has made you both 
 so completely a part of our family, that, knowing 
 how much we shall miss you, Herrmann and I 
 have at length come to the long protracted, des- 
 perate resolution of leaving Hohenfels ; we ought 
 to have done so long ago, on account of the 
 education of our children." 
 
 " Oh, no, don't leave Hohenfels ; we shall be 
 sure to return here next year every summer ! " 
 cried Hamilton and Hildegarde, almost to- 
 gether. 
 
 But they have not returned, nor are they likely 
 to do so. The revolution which commenced in 
 Germany, in the year 1848, is still in progress ; 
 to foretell how, or when it will end, would be 
 difficult ; this much is, however, certain, that 
 Bavaria is not likely to be soon again (if ever) as 
 tranquil and happy as when these pages were first 
 written ; then the most intelligent peasant would 
 have refused to leave his waltz, his pot of beer, 
 or his joyous Jodel, for the sake of any newspaper 
 that ever was printed, or even to hear a political 
 discussion between the schoolmaster and the 
 parish priest ! Great is the change which has 
 taken place in this respect ; without any law to 
 control the liberty of the press, newspapers of the 
 worst tendency now circulate in all directions, 
 and the peasant reads, thinks, and talks more of 
 politics than of his crops, and naturally feels in- 
 clined to adopt opinions calculated to elevate 
 him in his own estimation, and draw those down
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 to his level, whom he had formerly considered 
 far above him. In order to appreciate the im- 
 portance of this change, my countrymen must 
 remember that in Germany the peasantry is the 
 army. 
 
 Hohenfels is sold. Baron Z found the 
 
 brewery more expensive than profitable, when 
 his visits of inspection were limited to an occa- 
 sional week or ten days. He is half inclined to 
 purchase Hamilton's house, which still remains, 
 shut up and uninhabited ; presenting, as A. Z. 
 observed in her last letter, the perfect picture of 
 a deserted house, with all its " garden flowers 
 growing wild." 
 
 " After all, Hildegarde," said Hamilton, one 
 morning, as they looked out of the breakfast- 
 room window into his uncle's handsome domain, 
 "after all, if we could conjure a few of your 
 mountains, with some chamois upon them, here, 
 I believe I could again prefer England to Ger- 
 many that is, in my present position a poor 
 man really can enjoy life in Germany it is only 
 a rich one who could do so in England ! " 
 
 THE END.
 
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