e who take in a
larger sweep than their neighbors are apt to seem mightily vain and
affected. Klesmer was vain, but not more so than many contemporaries of
heavy aspect, whose vanity leaps out and startles one like a spear out
of a walking-stick; as to his carriage and gestures, these were as
natural to him as the length of his fingers; and the rankest
affectation he could have shown would have been to look diffident and
demure. While his grandiose air was making Mab feel herself a
ridiculous toy to match the cottage piano, he was taking in the details
around him with a keen and thoroughly kind sensibility. He remembered a
home no longer than this on the outskirts of Bohemia; and in the
figurative Bohemia too he had had large acquaintance with the variety
and romance which belong to small incomes. He addressed Mrs. Meyrick
with the utmost deference.

"I hope I have not taken too great a freedom. Being in the
neighborhood, I ventured to save time by calling. Our friend, Mr.
Deronda, mentioned to me an understanding that I was to have the honor
of becoming acquainted with a young lady here--Miss Lapidoth."

Klesmer had really discerned Mirah in the first moment of entering,
but, with subtle politeness, he looked round bowingly at the three
sisters as if he were uncertain which was the young lady in question.

"Those are my daughters: this is Miss Lapidoth," said Mrs. Meyrick,
waving her hand toward Mirah.

"Ah," said Klesmer, in a tone of gratified expectation, turning a
radiant smile and deep bow to Mirah, who, instead of being in the least
taken by surprise, had a calm pleasure in her face. She liked the look
of Klesmer, feeling sure that he would scold her, like a great musician
and a kind man.

"You will not object to beginning our acquaintance by singing to me,"
he added, aware that they would all be relieved by getting rid of
preliminaries.

"I shall be very glad. It is good of you to be willing to listen to
me," said Mirah, moving to the piano. "Shall I accompany myself?"

"By all means," said Klesmer, seating himself, at Mrs. Meyrick's
invitation, where he could have a good view of the singer. The acute
little mother would not have acknowledged the weakness, but she really
said to herself, "He will like her singing better if he sees her."

All the feminine hearts except Mirah's were beating fast with anxiety,
thinking Klesmer terrific as he sat with his listening frown on, and
only daring to look at him