ew words
to wholly re-establish the peace between them. Then they all went to
dinner at Elias Roos's house.

"Christina received them in a beautifully-fitting dress, which set off
her well-developed, pretty figure to advantage. She wielded the massive
soup-ladle with great skill.

"I suppose I ought to describe the five people at this dinner-table;
but Traugott's adventures are waiting to be told, and such pictures of
said people as I could sketch would be very hasty. You are aware that
Elias Roos wears a round wig, and I could add little more, as, from
what he has said, you can see before you the little, stoutish man in
his leather-coloured suit with gilt buttons. Of Traugott I have much to
say, because this is his story which I am telling, and he is the
principal character in it. If it is true that our thoughts, words, and
works--coming, as they do, from the inner depths of our natures--do so
shape and model the outward man that there results a certain marvellous
harmony of the whole--not to be explained, only to be felt--which we
term 'character,' Traugott's appearance will be plain to you from my
story without any further description. If this is not the case, all
further description would be useless, and you can take this tale as not
read. The two strange gentlemen are uncle and nephew, well-to-do
business men, and 'friends'--that is to say, business connections--of
Roos's. They come from Koenigsberg, wear English clothes, carry about
mahogany boot-jacks from London, are connoisseurs in the arts, and,
taking them all round, persons of much cultivation. The uncle is making
a collection of pictures, which is why he pocketed Traugott's sketch.

"As I perceive that Christina will speedily vanish from my story, I had
better give a few indications of what she is like before she makes her
exit. She is of medium height, with a finely-developed figure; about
two or three and twenty, with a round face, a short nose, slightly
turned up, and kindly light-blue eyes, which say, with a charming
smile, to every man she meets, 'I'm going to get married very soon
(don't much mind to whom). She has a beautiful, fair complexion; hair
not over red; most kissable lips, and a mouth rather too large, which
she has an odd way of drawing on one side, though two rows of pearls
are thereby rendered visible. If the next house were on fire, and the
flames were catching the room, she would just, quickly, feed her canary
and put away the clothe