and precious stones are not
in keeping with blouses. Nor will it do, in hot weather like this, to
bring gloves to our aid--that's too bad! What _are_ we to do?"

"Nobody will notice our hands," thought Seraphin.

"My good fellow, you do not understand the situation. We are on the eve
of the election. Everybody is out electioneering. Whoever to-day visits
a public place must expect to be hailed by a thousand eyes, stared at,
criticised, estimated, appraised, and weighed. The deuce take these
hands! Good advice would really be worth something in this instance."

"To a powerful imagination like your own," added Louise playfully. She
disappeared for a moment and then returned with a washbowl. Pouring the
contents of her inkstand into the water, she laughingly pointed them to
the dark mass.

"Dip your precious hands in here, and you will make them correspond
with your blouses in color and appearance."

"How ingenious she is!" cried Carl, following her direction.

"Most assuredly nothing comes up to the ingenuity of women. We are
beautifully tattooed, our hands are horrible! We must give the stuff
time to dry. Had I only thought of it sooner, Louise, you should have
accompanied us disguised as a drover's daughter, and have drunk a
bumper of wine with us. The adventure might have proved useful to you,
and served as an addition to the sum of your experiences in life."

"I will content myself with looking on from a distance," answered she
gaily. "The extraordinary progressionist movement that is going on
to-day might make it a difficult task even for a drover's daughter to
keep her footing."

The two millionaires sallied forth, Carl making tremendous strides.
Seraphin followed mechanically, the potent charm of her parting glances
hovering around him.

"We shall first steer for the sign of the 'Green Hat,'" said Greifmann.
"There you will hear a full orchestra of progressionist music,
especially trumpets and drums, playing flourishes on Hans Shund. 'The
Green Hat' is the largest beer cellar in the town, and the proprietor
ranks among the leaders next after housebuilder Sand. All the
representatives of the city _regime_ gather to-day at the establishment
of Mr. Belladonna--that's the name of the gentleman of the 'Green Hat.'
Besides the leaders, there will be upward of a thousand citizens, big
and small, to hold a preliminary celebration of election day. There
will also be 'wild men' on hand," proceeded Carl, explaining.