y and gossiping
neighbour for instance, and particularly shuns the Baron, whom we all
so highly revere, and who condescends too much, with almost a degree of
passion, to unfold her sensibilities for a higher state of being."

They now turned the corner of the rock, and saw the city lying before
them. But to their horror they at the same time observed that corpulent
Baron von Willen, from whom, in the afternoon, the young counsellor had
with difficulty got away. "Well," cried he as they came towards him,
"are you come back already out of heaven? Has there been a fine shower
of ambrosial phrases? Did the nectarean sentiments take kindly? There
was no scarcity, I hope, of seraphic feelings?"

The friends, who amid the beauties of nature and in the lovely evening
would have been glad to indulge their feelings in harmonious
reminiscences, endeavoured to get rid of him, but as they were
returning by the same road to the city, this was impossible. "Not so
fast!" he exclaimed with a peremptory voice: "we remain stedfast
together, and at the spring below there we shall meet with another poor
sinner, who is waiting for me."

The two young people saw themselves forced to make a virtue of
necessity, particularly as the insensible Baron proceeded with a
boisterous voice: "I observe well enough, that you would like still to
be sentimental in the environs here, particularly as the moon will soon
make its appearance; but such disorders are not tolerated in my prosaic
company. Take my word for it, young men, all that etherializing, and
that luscious piety yonder, has no other object, than that you should
bite at this tempting bait in the way of marriage, provided, that is,
you have places and fortune. There are so many daughters there, and
only the eldest, a wild thing, is mad enough to reject all offers. Ay,
that it is, the dear, good, much-desired matrimony, the wooing, towards
which all the telescopes are pointed, when such fine noble daughters
are sitting in the family saloon, round and plump, red and white,
comely and clever, full-grown and finished! And in the midst of them
the prudent mother, on the alert, lurking and watching, her eyes turned
in every direction, her feelers out, to try every one that enters,
whether the fine coat is paid for, whether he that talks of his travels
and balls, is in condition to maintain a wife suitably to her quality.
Then drop from the good matron's tender lips such pious, soft, and
perfectly u