."

"So!" He did not ask more, but I saw that he listened, and proceeded
communicatively:

"Never. I have--not quarreled with them exactly, but had a disagreement,
because--because--"

"Because?"

"They wanted me to--I mean, an old gentleman--no, I mean--"

"An old gentleman wanted you to marry him, and you would not," said he,
with an odd twinkle in his eyes.

"Why, how can you know?"

"I think, because you told me. But I will forget it if you wish."

"Oh, no! It is quite true. Perhaps I ought to have married him."

"Ought!" He looked startled.

"Yes. Adelaide--my eldest sister--said so. But it was no use. I was very
unhappy, and Miss Hallam, who is Sir Peter's deadly enemy--he is the old
gentleman, you know--was very kind to me. She invited me to come with
her to Germany, and promised to let me have singing lessons."

"Singing lessons?"

I nodded. "Yes; and then when I know a good deal more about singing, I
shall go back again and give lessons. I shall support myself, and then
no one will have the right to want to make me marry Sir Peter."

"_Du lieber Himmel!_" he ejaculated, half to himself. "Are you very
musical, then?"

"I can sing," said I. "Only I want some more training."

"And you will go back all alone and try to give lessons?"

"I shall not only try, I shall do it," I corrected him.

"And do you like the prospect?"

"If I can get enough money to live upon, I shall like it very much. It
will be better than living at home and being bothered."

"I will tell you what you should do before you begin your career," said
he, looking at me with an expression half wondering, half pitying.

"What? If you could tell me anything."

"Preserve your voice, by all means, and get as much instruction as you
can; but change all that waving hair, and make it into unobjectionable
smooth bands of no particular color. Get a mask to wear over your face,
which is too expressive; do something to your eyes to alter their--"

The expression then visible in the said eyes seemed to strike him, for
he suddenly stopped, and with a slight laugh, said:

"_Ach, was rede ich fuer dummes Zeug!_ Excuse me, _mein Fraeulein_."

"But," I interrupted, earnestly, "what do you mean? Do you think my
appearance will be a disadvantage to me?"

Scarcely had I said the words than I knew how intensely stupid they
were, how very much they must appear as if I were openly and impudently
fishing for compliments. How grateful I felt