ot to see her--not, at least, until she
wished to see him. It was much better for him that the uncertainties of
the bygone months did not begin anew; then, too, she had called him to
her when she was in trouble, and not for anything in the world would he
presume on her appeal. Besides, his presence would recall to her the
unpleasant details connected with Ephie's visit, which he hoped she had
by this time begun to forget. Thus he argued with himself, giving
several reasons where one would have served; and the upshot of it was,
that his own state of mind occupied him considerably.

His friends noticed the improvement in him; the careworn expression
that had settled down on him of late gave way to his old air of
animation; and on all the small topics of the day, he brought a
sympathetic interest to bear, such as people had ceased to expect from
him. Madeleine, in particular, was satisfied with her "boy," as she
took to calling him. She noted and checked off, in wise silence, each
inch of his progress along the road of healthy endeavour; and the
relations between them became almost as hearty as at the commencement
of their friendship. Privately, she believed that the events of the
past month had taught him a lesson, which he would not soon forget. It
was sufficient, however, if they had inspired him with a distrust of
Louise, which would keep him from her for the present; for Madeleine
had grounds for believing that before many weeks had passed, Louise
would have left Leipzig.

So she kept Maurice as close to her as work permitted; and as the
winter's flood of concerts set in, in full force, he accompanied her,
almost nightly, to the Old Gewandhaus or the ALBERTHALLE; for Madeleine
was an indefatigable concert-goer, and never missed a performer of
note, rarely even a first appearance at the HOTEL DE PRUSSE or a
BLUTHNER MATINEE. On the night she herself played in an
AIBENDUNTERHALTUNG, with the easily gained success that attended all
she did, Maurice went with her to the green-room, and was the first
afterwards to tell her how her performance had "gone." That same
evening she took him with her to the house of friends of hers, the
Hensels. There he met some of the best musical society of the place,
made a pleasant impression, and was invited to return.

Meanwhile, winter had set in, with extreme severity. Piercing north
winds drove down the narrow streets, and raged round the corners of the
Gewandhaus square: on emerging