k dreams
which came to no clear shape had driven him from Liege.

"Yes," cried Victor, with transport, "yes, it is no fancy, no idle
notion; the divine power is given to us, which, ruling space and time,
manifests the supersensual in the world of sense."

Albert did not know what Victor meant. Indeed the whole behaviour of
his friend, so different from his usual manner, seemed to denote an
over-excited state. In the meanwhile the lady, who had been sitting
before the fire near Victor, arose and approached the stranger. Albert
bowed to her, casting an inquiring glance at Victor. "This is the
Baroness Aurora von E----," said Victor, "my hospitable hostess, who
tends me ever carefully and faithfully in sickness and in trouble!"

Albert as he looked at the baroness felt quite convinced that the
little plump woman had not yet attained her fortieth year, and that she
would have been very well made had not the nutritious food of the
country, together with much sunshine, caused her shape to deviate a
little from the line of beauty. This counteracted the favourable
effect of her pretty, fresh-coloured face, the dark blue eyes of which
might otherwise have beamed somewhat dangerously for the heart. Albert
considered the attire of the baroness almost too homely, for the
material of her dress, which was of a dazzling whiteness, while it
showed the excellence of the washing and bleaching department, also
showed the great distance at which the domestic spinning and weaving
stood from perfection. A cotton kerchief, of a very glaring pattern,
thrown negligently about the neck, so that its whiteness was visible
enough, did not at all increase the brilliant effect of the costume.
The oddest thing of all was, that the baroness wore on her little feet
the most elegant silken shoes, and on her head the most charming lace
cap, after the newest Parisian fashion. This head-dress, it is true,
reminded the lieutenant-colonel of a pretty grisette, with whom chance
had made him acquainted at Paris, but for this very reason a quantity
of uncommonly gallant things flowed from his lips, while he apologised
for his sudden appearance. The baroness did not fail to reply to these
prettinesses in the proper style, and having once opened her mouth the
stream of her discourse flowed on uninterruptedly, till she at last
went so far as to say, that it would be impossible to show sufficient
attention to such an amiable guest, the friend of the colon