n her canary-bird one morning lay dead in its
cage, she wept bitterly and long; she should never more hear it sing,
she should never more look after its cage and its food. It was the loss
of it which made her weep. She missed that which had been interesting
to her. I also interested her. Interest is the name for that which
the world calls love. Louise?" He almost spoke the name aloud, and his
thoughts dwelt, from a strong combination of circumstances, upon it.
"She appears to me true, and capable of making sacrifices! but is not
she also very different from all the others? How often have I not heard
Sophie laugh at her for it--look down upon her!" And Otto's better
feeling sought in vain for a shadow of self-love in Louise, a single
selfish motive for her noble conduct.

"Away from Denmark! to new people! Happy he who can always be on the
wing, making new friendships, and speedily breaking them off! At the
first meeting people wear their intellectual Sunday apparel; every point
of light is brought forth; but soon and the festival-day is over, and
the bright points have vanished."

"We will set off next week!" said Wilhelm, "and then it shall be--

'Over the rushing blue waters away!
We will speed along shores that are verdant and gay!'

Away over the moors, up the Rhine, through the land of champagne to the
city of cities, the life-animating Paris!"

CHAPTER XLII

"A maiden stood musing, gentle and mild. I grasped the hand
of the friendly child, but the lovely fawn shyly
disappeared.... From the Rhine to the Danish Belt,
beautiful and lovely maidens are found in palaces and tents;
yet nobody pleases me."--SCHMIDT VON LUeBECK.

The last day at home was Sophie's birthday. In the afternoon the whole
family was invited to the Kammerjunker's, where Jakoba and the Mamsell
were to be quite brilliant in their cookery.

A table filled with presents, all from the Kammerjunker, awaited Miss
Sophie; it was the first time that he had ever presented to her a
birthday gift, and he had now, either out of his own head or somebody's
else, fallen on the very good idea of making her a present for every
year which she had lived. Every present was suited to the age for which
it was intended, and thus he began with a paper of sugar-plums and ended
with silk and magnificent fur; but between beginning and end there
were things, of which more than the half could be called solid: gold
ear-rings, a b