ar creature, Christiane's dark face, framed in
its thick black hair, looked more gloomy even than usual, but gained a
certain characteristic nobility, especially as the extreme simplicity
of her dress contrasted advantageously with the theatrical costume of
the singer. She had been sitting in silence when Marquard entered. At
Edwin's name she started, but even then said nothing, merely nodding
when Mohr asked if he should place a chair for the new guest on her
other side; mechanically she smoothed the folds of her dark red woolen
dress and passed her hand over her eyes. Adele had told her she
sometimes wore an evil, malignant expression, when her thick eye brows
were not perfectly smooth. This was generally a matter of indifference
to her, but to-day she did not want to look still more frightful than
she was by nature.

They listened to the sounds from the entry. At last the opposite door
opened, and Mohr started up to meet the new couple. When Toinette
entered, the singer also rose and approached her, more to show her
dainty figure than from any special cordiality. She saw at the first
glance that she was entirely thrown into the shade by the new face, and
could only console herself with the recollection of her toilette, which
she considered extremely _comme il faut_, while the cousin's looked
very provincial. Christiane greeted Edwin's relative with a silent bow
of the head. She had turned pale when she saw the charming girl. A
sudden weight rested upon her soul and stifled the words in her throat,
she would have liked to rise and turn her back upon these unsuspecting
people. But she must endure it. When Edwin addressed a few friendly
words to her, and without asking any questions, took the chair at her
side, the color returned to her cheeks, and she could say in an
indifferent tone that she was very glad to have the pleasure of meeting
him at last. He reminded her of the night when he had found her
absorbed in Schopenhauer's Parerga, and apologized for not having
continued the moonlight conversation by sunlight, on the plea of having
had a great deal of work to do. But it was one of the "sorrows of the
world," that we can often make the least use of the blessings that lie
so close at hand. Meantime the soup was brought, and Marquard did the
honors. The meeting with Edwin and his beautiful companion had put him
in the gayest spirits, and he treated Toinette with a humorous
formality, the cause of which the others did