out his narrow house-keeping in many ways. From young Berklinger
Traugott learned that the old man had been obviously taken in in the
sale of a little cabinet, and that the stock which Traugott had
realised for them was all that they had left of the price received for
it, as well as all the money they possessed. But it was only seldom
that Traugott was allowed to have any confidential conversation with
the youth; the old man watched over him with the most singular
jealousy, and at once scolded him sharply if he began to converse
freely and cheerfully with their friend. This Traugott felt all the
more painfully since he had conceived a deep and heart-felt affection
for the youth, owing to his striking likeness to Felicia. Indeed he
often fancied, when he stood near the young man, that he was standing
beside the picture he loved so much, now alive and breathing, and that
he could feel her soft breath on his cheek; and then he would like to
have drawn the youth, as if he really were his darling Felicia herself,
to his swelling heart.

Winter was past; beautiful spring was filling the woods and fields with
brightness and blossoms. Herr Elias Roos advised Traugott either to
drink whey for his health's sake or to go somewhere to take the baths.
Fair Christina was again looking forward with joy to the wedding,
although Traugott seldom showed himself--and thought still less of his
relations with her.

Once Traugott was confined to the office the whole day long, making a
requisite squaring up of his accounts, &c.; he had been obliged to
neglect his meals, and it was beginning to get very dark when he
reached Berklinger's remote dwelling. He found nobody in the first
room, but from the one adjoining he heard the music of a lute. He had
never heard the instrument there before. He listened; a song, from time
to time interrupted, accompanied the music like a low soft sigh. He
opened the door. O Heaven! with her back towards him sat a female
figure, dressed in old-German style with a high lace ruff, exactly like
the picture. At the noise which Traugott unavoidably made on entering,
the figure rose, laid the lute on the table, and turned round. It was
she, Felicia herself! "Felicia!" cried Traugott enraptured; and he was
about to throw himself at the feet of his beloved divinity when he felt
a powerful hand laid upon his collar behind, and himself dragged out of
the room by some one with the strength of a giant. "You abandoned
wretc