h he put on to-day was one which he had not worn
for a long time, nor had he ever looked at himself with such attention
in the glass. He surveyed his shape, and could not conceal from himself
that his proportions were good, that his eye was full of fire, his face
pleasing, and his brow noble. "My first appearance," said he to
himself, "will at least not displease him. All men, even those who
dislike me, praise the address and refinement of my carriage; I possess
a variety of talents and knowledge, and what I want I can, at my age,
and with my excellent memory, easily supply. He will take a liking to
me, and I shall soon grow indispensable to him. Intercourse with the
great world will, by degrees, polish off all the rust that may still
cling to me from bad company. If I travel with him, and am forced to
absent myself for a year or even longer from this spot, these qualities
will, in foreign countries, only contribute the more to fix me firmly
in his favour. We then come back; my accomplishments, my pretensions,
will, through his protection, meet with offers of the most considerable
posts here, or even abroad, and I shall then certainly not have
forgotten that it was after all, in fact, Sophia who first roused my
better self from its lethargy."

He was now dressed, and so intoxicated with his hopes, that he did not
observe he was again using the same language in his soliloquy, for
which he had just before been laughing at himself. He took out of the
glass the full-blown rose, and pressed it to his lips, to strengthen
himself for his visit; but at the same moment, all its leaves dropped
at his feet. An evil omen! He sighed, and went out to get into the
carriage.

On his arrival at the palace, he gave one of the servants his letter of
recommendation to the prince. As he was walking up and down by the side
of the pier glasses, young Dietrich, to his astonishment, came out of a
side room in hurry and confusion, and at first did not observe his
acquaintance. "How come you here?" asked Edward hastily. "Do you know
the prince?" "Yes--no--" stammered Dietrich--"it is a singular affair,
which--I will tell it you, but here we shall have no time for it."

This was indeed the case, for a richly-dressed lady, sparkling with
jewels, stepped in with an imposing air, and drove off the young
painter, who retired with awkward bows. Edward stood still as the
glittering apparition approached; he was on the point of bowing, but
astonishmen