a letter with the particular sort of bow
that the fellow made when he handed that one. No! what seems certain
is, that the poor thing expected to meet her sweetheart--prevented from
seeing her at home--in this place. He has been unavoidably prevented
from coming; or perhaps, as Alexander thinks, some silly lover's
quarrel has kept him away: so that he sent some friend with the letter.
At all events, whatever the facts may be, the little scene was quite
heart-breaking.'

"And yet,' said Severin, 'you ascribe this deep, heart-breaking sorrow
to some trumpery, every-day cause! No, no! she has a secret passion,
most likely against her parents' will. All her hopes depended upon some
one event which to-day was to decide. It has all turned out amiss!
hope's star has set for ever, all earthly happiness is a thing of the
past! Didn't you see the heart-breaking look of deep, inconsolable
sorrow with which she sent the fragments of the fatal letter fluttering
away on the breeze, like Ophelia with her straw flowers, or Emilia
Galotti with her roses? I could have wept tears of blood when the wind
whirled away those words of death, as in bitter, sneering mockery! Is
there no comfort on earth? Does the world contain no more hope or
consolation for that most lovely, interesting young creature?'

"'Bravo, Severin,' said Alexander, 'you're fairly afloat and under way,
now! you've got your tragedy fairly in hand! No, no! we'll leave her
some hope still, some prospect of happiness in this world; and I
believe she hasn't many misgivings on the subject herself. She seems to
be pretty composed and comfortable in her mind. See how carefully she's
putting her new white gloves down on the tablecloth, and how quietly and
daintily she's dipping her cake in her tea. See, she's nodding at the
old fellow as he puts a tiny droplet of rum into the cup. The boy's
munching away at the bread-and-butter. Plump! goes a fid of it into his
tea, which splashes up in his face. The old folks are laughing, and
so's the young lady, she's actually shaking with laughter.'

"'Ah!' said Severin, 'that's just the terrible part of it; to be
obliged to pretend to be interested in every day matters when the heart
is breaking. Indeed, it's easier to laugh, then, than to seem
indifferent.'

"'I do beg, Severin,' said Marzell, 'that you'll be quiet for a little.
If we keep on looking at her in this way we shall get so terribly
interested in her that we shan't see the end