dn't catch what Frau Steinmann
said."

"May Wedderburn," I replied, angry with myself for blushing so
excessively as I saw that all the boys held their spoons suspended,
listening for my answer.

"May--_das heisst Mai_," said she, turning to the assembled youths, who
testified that they were aware of it, and the Dutch boy, Brinks,
inquired, gutturally:

"You haf one zong in your language what calls itself, 'Not always Mai,'
haf you not?"

"Yes," said I, and all the boys began to giggle as if something clever
had been said. Taken all in all, what tortures have I not suffered from
those dreadful boys. Shy when they ought to have been bold, and bold
where a modest retiringness would better have become them. Giggling
inanely at everything and nothing. Noisy and vociferous among themselves
or with inferiors; shy, awkward and blushing with ladies or in refined
society--distressing my feeble efforts to talk to them by their silly
explosions of laughter when one of them was addressed. They formed the
bane of my life for some time.

"Will you let me paint you?" said Fraeulein Sartorius, whose big eyes had
been surveying me in a manner that made me nervous.

"Paint me?"

"Your likeness, I mean. You are very pretty, and we never see that color
of hair here."

"Are you a painter?"

"No, I'm only a _Studentin_ yet; but I paint from models. Well, will you
sit to me?"

"Oh, I don't know. If I have time, perhaps."

"What will you do to make you not have time?"

I did not feel disposed to gratify her curiosity, and said I did not
know yet what I should do.

For a short time she asked no more questions, then

"Do you like town or country best?"

"I don't know. I have never lived in a town."

"Do you like amusements--concerts, and theater, and opera?"

"I don't know," I was reluctantly obliged to confess, for I saw that the
assembled youths, though not looking at me openly, and apparently
entirely engrossed with their dinners, were listening attentively to
what passed.

"You don't know," repeated Fraeulein Sartorius, quickly seeing through my
thin assumption of indifference, and proceeding to draw me out as much
as possible. I wished Adelaide had been there to beat her from the
field. She would have done it better than I could.

"No; because I have never been to any."

"Haven't you? How odd! How very odd! Isn't it strange?" she added,
appealing to the boys. "Fraeulein has never been to a theater or a
concert."