f with snow, and his shabby old winter overcoat,
in which he was muffled up to the eyes, by no means so objectionable as
usual, but welcomed him as a friend in need, and, smiling gratefully,
gave him her hand, which he pressed tightly between his rough buckskin
gloves.

But for all that she was disappointed in her hope, for he silently
threw himself into a chair, stretched out his legs and beat time with
his riding-whip on his high boots, while the old lady, taking up the
lost thread of her discourse again, began to spin on as zealously as
ever.

Her conversation dealt for the most part with the festival calendar of
the great world, with receptions, _soirees_, routs, and the amateur
theatricals that had been given by the French ambassador. Then the
question whether there was a prospect of any court balls, and how many
there would be, was discussed at length, with great vigor, and with
many references to former times, when the good lady was a reigning
belle.

All at once it seemed to occur to her that she had the conversation
entirely to herself.

"_Mais savez-vous, mon cher Schnetz_," she said, turning to him, "_que
vous avez une mine a faire peur? Je ne parle pas de votre toilette_--in
that respect you have never been very indulgent toward us. But all the
time I am trying to initiate our dear Irene into the programme of her
winter pleasures--for we can never think of letting her travel off into
that land of cholera and brigands, where they are threatening to cut
the throat of our religion and of the holy Father--you sit there like
Hippocrates--_le dieu du silence; et on voit bien, que vous vous moquez
interieurement de tous ces plaisirs innocents._ Of course, in regard to
dancing, the gentlemen now-a-days are quite _blase_. But although you
yourself can no longer take any pleasure in the joys of the carnival--"

"You are greatly mistaken, my dear countess," interrupted Schnetz,
seriously. "I am so far from being indifferent to the pleasures of
dancing that I actually propose to dance all night long, four days from
to-day, provided I can find a partner who will dare to trust herself
with such a dancing bear."

"Four days from to-day? _Vous plaisantez, mon ami._ Where is there
going to be a ball four days from to-day?"

"Not in the higher spheres, gracious lady, but still a very excellent
and respectable hall; moreover, in masks, which fact would in itself
make it worth attending. The truth is," he said, address