a keen sense of moral meanness, and when this displayed
itself no gifts of genius or of nature had power to conceal it. He
clearly understood her intentions, and despised her for them. In his
eyes, at this moment, she was hateful. In the mean time his composure
was destroyed. He looked on Jacobi, and observed his glances and his
feelings; he looked on Elise, and saw that she was uneasy, and avoided
his eye.

A horrible spasmodic feeling thrilled through his soul; in order to
conceal what he felt he became more than usually animated, yet there was
a something hostile, a something sternly sarcastic in his words, which
still, on account of the general gaiety, remained unobserved by most.

Never before was Assessor Munter so cheerful, so comically cross with
all mankind. Mrs. Gunilla and he shouted as if desperate against each
other. The company rose from the supper-table in full strife, and
adjourned to the dancing-room.

"Music, in heaven's name! music!" exclaimed the Assessor with a gesture
of despair, and Elise and the Colonel's widow hastened to the piano. It
was a pleasant thought, after the screaming of that rough voice had been
heard, to play one of Blangini's beautiful night-pieces, which seem to
have been inspired by the Italian heaven, and which awaken in the soul
of the hearer a vision of those summer nights, with their flowery
meadows, of their love, of their music, and of all their unspeakable
delights.

"_Un' eterna constanza in amor!_" were the words which, repeated several
times with the most bewitching modulations, concluded the song.

"_Un' eterna constanza in amor!_" repeated the Candidate, softly and
passionately pressing his hand to his heart, as he followed Elise to a
window, whither she had gone to gather a rose for her rival. As Elise's
hand touched the rose, the lips of Jacobi touched her hand.

Emelie sang another song, which delighted the company extremely; but
Ernst Frank stood silent and gloomy the while. Words had been spoken
this evening which aroused his slumbering perception; and with the look
he cast upon Jacobi and his wife, he felt as if the earth were trembling
under his feet. He saw that which passed at the window, and gasped for
breath. A tempest was aroused in his breast; and at the same moment
turning his eyes, he encountered, those of another person, which were
riveted upon him with a questioning, penetrating expression. They were
those of the Assessor. Such a glance as that