a minute or two later,
not to return till the following day. Malvine, however, put her threat
into practice, and persuaded Wilhelm with gentle insistence to join her
afternoon coffee party, and be introduced to all her lady visitors and
take part in the conversations. The introduction caused Malvine a
little embarrassment. Only now did she fully realize the fact that her
guest was nobody in particular. She was painfully conscious of the
baldness of his name and his simple title of Dr., and the absence of
any sort of distinguishing mark by the addition of which she might
recommend him to the special notice of her circle of friends. He was
not a landed proprietor, nor a professor, not even a master. Nor could
she conscientiously say, "the celebrated Dr. Eynhardt." He had no
military title, and to introduce him as "the handsome Dr. Eynhardt"
would hardly do. Fortunately she had no need to mention the latter
adjective. The ladies observed without further assistance how
remarkably handsome this gentleman was with his girlish complexion,
silky, raven-black hair and beard, and lustrous dark eyes. Charming
lips drew him constantly into the conversation, which, cultivated and
many-sided, ranged from the weather to the recently-closed Paris
Exhibition, from Sarasate to Vischer's last novel. Wilhelm had not a
word to say on these important subjects, and so spoke in monosyllables,
or not at all, till the ladies, who were most of them very animated,
came to the conclusion that he was as stupid as he was handsome, "as is
usually the case, my dear."

At supper Malvine was indefatigable in asking Wilhelm how he liked this
dark girl, and what he had said to that fair one, and what impression
the piquante little one with the boyish curly head had made upon him?
When he frankly confessed that he had paid very little attention to any
of the young ladies, and could scarcely remember one from another, she
was very much discouraged. It was decidedly no easy task to help this
clumsy person along. All three girls of whom she had spoken were
heiresses, and beautiful and well-educated beside--what more did he
want?

Alas! he did not want anything at all, but to be left in peace, and
that was the aggravating part of it. Malvine had set her heart on
marrying him, and marrying him well. Her sentiment for him had long
since given place to other and less agitating feelings, as beseemed a
model wife, mother, and landed proprietress. She was grateful