u no more about her."

"Will you allow me to look in upon you a moment?" replied Lorinser,
stepping into the entry before Edwin.

Balder looked up from his book in surprise, when his brother entered
with his singular companion. His soft, expressive eyes rested on the
strange face for a short time, but soon seemed to have perceived all he
thought worthy of notice, and remained persistently fixed on the
sunlight that bathed the branches of the acacia tree.

The youth's appearance was evidently more attractive to Lorinser. He
instantly directed the conversation back to his mystical experiences,
revelations, and divine joys, as he termed them, and turning with
unconcealed admiration toward Balder, declared that he seemed specially
fitted by nature to penetrate the depths of these secrets. He would, if
permitted, introduce him to other chosen spirits, by whom disclosures
would be made that would render his present relations to life, shallow
and profitless.

Edwin contented himself with now and then throwing in a sarcastic
question, which Lorinser merely noticed by a shrug of the shoulders,
but Balder, who met all his entreaties with unmoved composure, answered
shortly, that he was not in the habit of going out and felt no longing
for any other wonders than those revealed by his senses and quiet
thoughts.

"You will think differently, when you are farther initiated," replied
Lorinser. "I can boldly assert, that without suspecting it, you are in
an unusual degree a child of God. The hour will come--"

Here he was interrupted by the entrance of Reginchen, who brought the
brothers their dinner. Lorinser only vouchsafed her a passing glance,
and the dishes she carried did not seem to him sufficiently choice to
induce him to remain longer. He begged permission to come again at an
early day, and withdrew smiling at Balder, who did not perceive it, as
he was limping around the room helping Reginchen set the table.

"Dear me," said the fair haired girl, as the retreating footsteps
glided over the stairs, "what a queer gentleman that is! I'd rather
have mother scold me half a day, than listen to his husky voice and
hear him creep about as if he had on felt slippers, for half an hour.
It's fortunate he never looks any one straight in the eye, for if he
did nobody could endure it, at least not I. Did you notice, Herr
Walter: the whites of his eyes are like mother of pearl, or the
quicksilver in our thermometer. He looks very gho