etrea's musical accompaniment.

Although every one in the company had had an exciting and fatiguing day,
the young people began immediately after supper, as if according to a
natural law, to arrange themselves for the dance.

Jacobi, who appeared to be captivated by Sara's appearance, led her in
the magic circle of the waltz.

"Our sensible little Queen-bee," a rather broad-set, but very well-grown
blonde of eighteen, distinguished herself in the dance by her beautiful
steps, and her pleasing though rather too grave carriage. Everybody,
however, looked with greater admiration on Eva, because she danced with
heart and soul. Gabriele, with her golden curls, flew round like a
butterfly. But who did not dance this evening?--Everybody was actually
enthusiastic--for all were infected with the joyous animal spirits of
Henrik. Even Jeremias Munter, to the amazement of everybody, led Eva,
with most remarkable skill, through the Polska,[4] the most artificial
and perplexing of dances.

It was only at midnight that the dance was discontinued, at the
suggestion of Elise. But before they separated, the Judge begged his
wife to sing the well-known little song--"The First Evening in the New
House." She sang it in her simple, soul-touching manner, and the joy
full of peace which this song breathed penetrated every heart; even the
grave countenance of the Judge gleamed with an affectionate emotion. A
quiet glory appeared to rest on the family, and beautified all
countenances; for it is given to song, like the sun, to throw its
glorifying light upon all human circumstances, and to lend them beauty,
at least for a moment. "The spinner," and "the aged man by the
road-side," are led by song into the kingdom of beauty, even as they are
by the Gospel into the kingdom of heaven.

On taking leave for the night, all agreed upon a rendezvous the next
morning after breakfast in the orchard, in order to see what was to be
made of it.

The father conducted the daughters up into their chambers. He wanted to
see yet once more how they looked, and inquired from them again and
again--"Are you satisfied, my girls? Do they please you? Would you wish
anything besides? If you wish anything, speak out right Swedishly."

As now his daughters, assuring him of their contentment, gratefully and
affectionately hung about him, there was not a happier man on the face
of the earth than Judge Frank.

The mother, on her part, had taken her first-born with her