the little contesse herself, he contrived to Dittenheim, leaning comfortably back meet her in the Rhine garden. The in an easy-chair, noted Emil's every look, Graefin, now angry in earnest, kept the registered his smallest word, and while girl a prisoner in the house. Emil wrote he appeared to be merely listening, was her letters, which were confiscated before collating evidence, weighing it, passing reaching her. He determined to make a judgment. Not for one moment did he bold appeal to the Graf to sanction a be- contemplate an alliance between his trothal. The Graefin appealed to her hus- daughter and his late servant's son ; but he band on the same day for his interference fancied he detected in Emil's own characand support. ter that which would have made him refuse the honor, no matter how highly born the young man had been.

Von Dittenheim turned from a perusal of Schoenemann's extraordinary epistle to listen to his wife's denunciation of the writer. He sent for his daughter, and drew from her a meagre confession and an abundance of tears. Alone again in his study, he gave himself up to a sense of dispassionate entertainment. He was a student of human nature, and constantly deplored the fact that conformity and mental flabbiness rendered so few humans profitable studies. But he scented in Emil's letter a refreshing amount of originality of mind. It was undeniably original that the son of his deceased under-ranger should write and calmly demand the hand of his only daughter in marriage. He must see between four walls what manner of man it was who could prefer so audacious a request.

Emil accordingly came over again to Bellavista at Von Dittenheim's desire, who, devoting eye and ear to the young man before him, told himself he had not for months past experienced so keen a pleasure. And indeed there are no pleasures comparable to those of observation. To these alone time bringeth not satiety, and the most inveterate sportsman rejoices less when his prey falls living into his hands, than does the character-hunter on first turning a fresh page in the history of his fellows.

The Graf, pointing the ends of his moustache with white fingers, smiled up at Emil. "You are aware," he went on, "that the contesse and you belong to widely different ranks? Yes, yes, you have told me already that genius is superior to birth; that such gifts as yours received straight from the gods are better than a worn-out name, handed down through a line of enfeebled progenitors. No doubt you are right. Only there is this point to be considered. Any fool can verify the social value of a name; but as to the genius, the supposed possessor, when young and unknown as you are, stands in the position of a page who has still to win his spurs. The genius is unproven. You say you can prove it? Very good indeed. Go out into the world, make your reputation there, come back in seven years' time and then I will reconsider the question of giving you my daughter." Emil protested against seven years. It was a lifetime.

"But can you reach the goal in less? You know the difficulties of the career you have chosen. Besides, did ever man yet make a reputation worth having before he was thirty? Putting the contesse out of the question, are seven years too long for the work you have mapped yourself out?"

Give me ten years," said Emil impet. uously, "and I reach the top of the ladder."

"You tell me my daughter is as much in love with you as you are with her? Good. Love makes all things equal, you say? Very good. You won't take a seat? "And I as a reasonable man offer to Very good; very good. Continue walk-take you while you are yet a few rungs ing up and down if it gives you any sol- lower down. Only, that I should see you ace." first fairly mounted, is not, I think, too much to ask. Go out into the world, go to Paris," there was, in fact, a project that Schoenemann should go to Paris to complete his studies; Brockhoff, his Leipsic master, had recommended it; it had been a question of ways and means which had hitherto prevented him from acting on Brockhoff's advice, — “study, succeed, set the name of Schoenemann as high in the musical world as Dittenheim stands in society circles, come back in seven years crowned with laurels, and

Emil for the first time in his life was slightly disconcerted. He had thought to experience the most violent opposition; scorn, perhaps vituperation. He had armed himself with counter-scorn, with passion, eloquence, irresistible pleadings to beat it down; and he found the expected foe very courteous, very bland, almost cordial. It was like going out to assault a castle, and finding yourself engulfed instead in a smooth, smiling, and treacherous sea.

Marie is yours – provided of course she there, and speak with knowledge. You still wisbes it."

will look back with astonishment at this Emil required at the least a formal be- grande passion of yours, this green love. trothal, but this the Graf pleasantly episode, and you will remember, with refused. “With seven years' separation gratitude let me hope, that you are absobefore you it is better both should be lutely free. This at least, my young absolutely free. But why let that depress friend, is what I reckon on, and it partly you? What are words or promises ? How explains the equanimity with which I have can they make more binding an affection listened to your entirely preposterous which you tell me nothing can weaken or proposals." change? Betrothals may be useful be. This frankly cynical speech was delivtween persons who believe more in the ered with a confidence which Emil found sanctity of a promise than in the sanctity extremely galling. The well-chosen words of love; but to you, and presumably to fell like drops of ice-water upon his redmy daughter, who understand so perfectly hot passion. They rankled, like iron, long love's divine unalterable nature, it could in his breast. He could not forget Ditonly be a work of supererogation." tenheim's looks and tones, which asserted

" But," objected the young man, "you a superiority in worldly wisdom hard to and all her people will endeavor to make forgive. An immense desire to prove the her forget me."

Graf wrong laid hold of Emil, who said to " I shall certainly try," admitted Ditted himself that even in the impossible case heim. “I should be very glad to think I of his ever loving Marie less than at that could succeed. Unfortunately Marie is of moment, he would marry her merely to a steadfast disposition." He looked at show Von Dittenheim how much he had his visitor smilingly, had a phrase on the been mistaken. tip of his tongue, bit it back as imprudent, Meanwhile his departure for Paris be. and after all, could not resist letting it came a settled thing, and his arrangements go. “It is rather on your inconstancy were facilitated, upknown to himself, by that I build my hopes.".

Von Dittenheim's liberality towards his Emil was indignant, demanded explana. mother. The Graf fully believed in the tions, and received them after this fash- wisdom of building a golden bridge for ion:

the retreating foe. “Marie is a good but ordinary girl; Emil asked for a final interview with his you are an exceptional young man. It is little sweetheart; and because the girl not probable she will ever again be wooed kissed her father's hand, and wept over it, with such poetic fire and passion. She and besought ardently for the same favor, will compare future suitors with you to Dittenheim permitted it. He laughed at their disadvantage. The mere fact of himself for doing so, and told his wife be your absence will not efface your memory was weak-minded to be moved by a womfrom her heart. I even contemplate the an's tears. And she, turning on him in. possibility of her remaining, intolerably censed and sunken eyes from the sofa she true. She will continue to lead a shel- could now no longer leave, told him he tered and more or less monotonous life, was worse than weak-minded, he was running always in accustomed grooves. criminal. “The whole of life is only a It will be difficult to obliterate the impres- play to you,” she said, “and even your sion you have created. Besides which, own daughter only one of the players. she has reached the highest point of her You would not mind what shameful part development. She will never be much she took, so long as you from your box other than what she now is. But you have could see and hear comfortably all that still a long way to go. It is safe to pre-was done and said." Which, however, dict that five years hence will find you a was not altogether true. very different person from what you are All the same, the interview took place

You will have discovered new one August evening, in the Rhine garden wants, of which at the present moment of Bellavista. Here a terrace of stone you have no suspicion. You will have overhangs the river. Here it is good to rid yourself of many old possessions, walk and watch the waters flowing down which have their uses while we linger in from the Sieben Gebirge towards the the valley, but become impedimenta when broad plains of Koeln. Here, leaning on climbing the mountain-side. And then the stone balustrade, Schoenemann held you will have met in Paris the most re- Marie's plump little red hand between his fined, the most charming, the most intel. own nervous white ones, and implored her lectual women in the world. I have lived over and over again to be true.