erly bad as these trade-wares show him. I think you will give me
back your esteem if I lead you now out of my holy into my profane
_atelier_--out of my tailor's-shop into my paradise!"

CHAPTER IV.

With these words he opened the little door that separated the two
studios and passed in, followed by Felix.

"You will find an old acquaintance again," he said. "I wonder whether
friend Homo still remembers you. He has certainly had time to grow old
and dull."

The dog was still lying in front of the old sofa, on the straw mat, and
seemed to have slept quietly on, although the girl had seated herself
near him and had buried both feet in his thick coat as in a rug.
Evidently the old dog thought it not disagreeable, but rather pleasant
than otherwise, to be rubbed and trampled on by the little shoes. At
all events he uttered a comfortable growl from time to time, like a
purring cat.

To the girl herself the time had seemed very long. At first, when she
heard voices out in the garden, she had climbed upon a chair close to
the window, and, pulling her skirt over her bare shoulders that she
might not be seen by any chance passer-by, had peeped out curiously
through the roses. The strange young man, who spoke so long and
seriously with Jansen, had taken her fancy greatly, with his tall,
slender figure, his small head above the broad shoulders, and the fiery
glance of his brown eyes, that wandered absently about. She had seen
directly that he must be somebody of distinction. But, when he
disappeared with Jansen into the arbor, her post at the window grew
uncomfortable. She climbed slowly and thoughtfully down, stationed
herself before a little looking-glass on the wall, and looked
attentively at her own youthful figure, which only seemed to her
anything especially remarkable now that an artist copied from it. Only
to-day she was even less satisfied than usual with her face, and tried
whether it could not be improved if she screwed up her mouth as much
as possible, drew in her nostrils, and opened her eyes very wide. She
was vexed because she could not make herself as beautiful as the
plaster-heads that stood above her on the brackets. But suddenly she
had to laugh at the horribly distorted face she made; her old high
spirits came back; she thrust out her tongue at her reflection in the
glass, and was pleased to see how pretty and red it looked between her
glittering white teeth. Then she