t Behren
Street, where my parents lived, into Frederick Street. When he got into
the full tide of carriages and foot-passengers, he seemed to be in a
measure relieved. He pressed my arm, stood still a moment, and broke
out: "It is nothing very particular, Paul, but I believe that I am in
love, and this time for life."

I was far from laughing at the declaration. At the age of sixteen one
believes in the endless duration of every feeling. But I had read
my Heine and considered it bad taste to become sentimental over a
love-affair.

"Who is the fortunate fair?" I lightly enquired.

"You shall see her," he replied, his eyes wandering absently over the
crowd flowing through the street. "I will take you there at once if you
are inclined."

"Can one go thus unceremoniously without being better dressed? I have
actually forgotten my gloves."

"She is no countess," said he, a slight blush shewing through his dark
complexion. "Just think! yesterday when I wanted to look once more
through the Evening Times--yes, I know we are not to speak of it, but
it has to do with the whole thing--chance, or my good star led me to a
quite out-of-the-way little cake-shop, and there--"

He stopped short.

"There you found her eating cherry-tarts, and that won your affection,"
laughed I. "Well, Bastel, I congratulate you. Sweets to the sweet. But
have you already made such way as to be able to calculate upon finding
her again at the very same place?"

He gave no further reply. My tone seemed to be discordant with his
mood. So indeed it at once became with my own, but my principles did
not allow me to express myself more feelingly. Minor chords remained
the exclusive property of verse; conversation was to be carried on in a
harsh and flippant key, the more coldblooded and ironical the better.

We had walked, in silence for the most part, all the length of
Frederick Street to the Halle Gate, I, for all my air of indifference,
actually consumed with curiosity and sympathy, when my friend suddenly
turned up one of the last side streets that debouch into the main
artery of the great city. Here were found at the time I am speaking of,
several small one-storied private houses of mean exterior, a few shops,
little traffic, so that the rattling of cab wheels sufficed to bring
the inhabitants to their windows; and numbers of children who played
about freely in the street, not having to take flight before the
approach of any heavily-laden omnibus