erceptions," and he smiled good-humouredly, "which would fail
to discern my manhood, even if I were to grow right through the
ceiling, and look down upon them from the mazes of a bristling beard."

"Certainly," she retorted; "you are my own little Walter, and will be,
if you live to be a grandfather. I shall always feel maternally
responsible for your faults and follies--and there is every prospect of
your keeping these maternal feelings in practice to the last day of
your life."

"Very possibly;" and he laughed again. "But to-day I really did do you
credit, I assure you, and was an honor to my education. Our ball queen,
you must know, proud minx! found me all at once too mean for even the
meanest services of her slaves. There was a young gentleman from the
bar, who had been so condescending as to join us. When I came in, with
my plain frock-coat and cotton gloves, he was pleased to take his
eye-glass, and to stare at me from head to foot. He was in tails, and
light-coloured kids, and naturally took the shine out of me, and would
you have believed it?--she would hardly vouchsafe to let me take the
tips of her fingers!--Oh! woman! woman, false and fair----"

"No sweeping condemnations, I beg."

"Oh! no. Heaven forbid! Of course there are angels among Eve's
daughters. Some--angels with flaming swords. Others--simply angels,
wearing their little wings neatly folded under innocent muslin
dresses--"

"As--for instance--?"

"While I was still standing, turning to stone at the assertion that
Fraeulein Flora had already disposed of all her dances, my indignant eye
chanced to light upon a face I had overlooked before--perhaps because
it could not ogle and grin as some can--and now I saw a pair of large
soft eyes pitifully fixed on mine, which seemed to say: 'Why did you
never look our way before?--we could have warned you long ago, to
beware of icebergs,' &c. &c.--all that eyes can say. So I resolved to
be a fool no longer, and I walked across the room, look you, with a
dignity--"

"I see!"--she interrupted drily; "I see him, as he walks over half a
dozen dresses, turning over as many chairs as he could find in his
way."

"Not this time, you unnatural mother, who are always ready to believe
the worst of your own son! I tell you, I walked up to Lottchen Klas
with the dignity of a prince--"

"Lottchen Klas, is it? A mother's blessing on your choice, my son!" she
said with great solemnity. "If this be your first love, i