e in store for him.
As he rang the door-bell he had need of all his _sang froid_ to quiet
his turbulent heart. He was admitted to the inner sanctuary and was
greeted with studious cordiality by the three goddesses. They seemed
all agitated and expectant, though they were striving to appear
unconcerned. They lounged and chatted as people do in the introductory
scene of a play, with hidden reference to some plot which has yet to
be disclosed. To all appearances the plot had some connection with the
door to the Professor's study, which, contrary to custom, was closed.
Minchen repeatedly threw furtive glances at it, and Roeschen made her
determination not to look at it equally conspicuous; only Gretchen was
frankly curious and made no effort to disguise it. A strange sense of
the unreality of the whole scene, himself included, crept over the
young man; he felt like a man in a play who can murder or make love
with equal irresponsibility. He was about to indulge in the latter
diversion, when suddenly the mysterious door opened, and the Frau
Professorin entered with much dramatic _eclat_, leading a lovely
dark-eyed young girl by the hand. The eyes of the three goddesses grew
as big as saucers, and Roeschen pressed her hand to her heart and
nearly fainted from excitement.

"Mr. Grover," said the Frau Professorin, making a most elaborate bow,
"allow me to present--Miss Jones."

Under ordinary circumstances the introduction to Miss Jones would have
been an agreeable incident in Mr. Grover's career, and nothing
further. He had met, he did not know how many hundred charming young
ladies, several of whom had borne the name of Jones, and he had never
been in the least disconcerted. In the present instance, however, he
showed but imperfect control of his emotions. A guilty blush sprang to
his cheeks, and he groped vainly in his embarrassment for the proper
phrase wherewith to express his pleasure at making the lady's
acquaintance. Miss Jones, too, somehow, seemed ill at ease, and gazed
at him with flaming cheeks and a puzzled, half-anxious look in her
eyes. The Frau Professorin, who had probably expected a different
denouement, looked disappointed, and the goddesses whispered to each
other and tittered.

"You will excuse me for a few moments," said the Frau Professorin;
"the house needs my attention."

Having learned all that she wished to know, she could afford to be
generous. It was plain that the goddesses had displaced Miss J