It was some time before any kind of general conversation could be
established. Walter kept his eyes upon his plate, and held his tongue,
without attending to anything that was passing round him. The old
neighbour, who, in general, was rather fond of playing the connoisseur,
and holding forth in rambling dissertations on drawing and effects of
color, was silent this time, as he saw the Meister neither spoke nor
ate, but ground his teeth for self-command in bodily torture. The boys
were tongue-tied, naturally, in their master's presence; and thus on
Helen, and on the Notary, who sat opposite, the whole cost of the
conversation fell.

There was nothing remarkable about his outward man. Only a fine
forehead, and a pair of clear calm eyes, were the attractions of his
face. And there was an expression of animated benevolence in his
countenance when he spoke, that, together with the masculine cast of
his features, was especially captivating to the confidence of his
hearers.

After the first awkwardness of his meeting with Helen, he became gayer
and more conversible than he was ever known to be. He spoke of his
travels in Sweden and Norway; of the Scandinavian races; of their
customs and holidays; of their national songs. He talked pleasantly,
for he never generalized, either in praise or blame--each thing was
distinctly drawn, given in its own peculiar coloring, with its
distinctive touches. Even old Christel, who waited at table, left the
door ajar to listen to him longer; and the Sunday guest applauded with
approving nods, shoving in here and there a choice remark or two upon
Scandinavian Art, which the traveller was so kind as to leave
undisputed.

And yet his pains were wasted. Helen's attention was an effort. Her
mind was engaged in speculations upon the possible cause of the cloud
that had come over her darling's spirits.

She hazarded a jest or two, to win him over to the general
conversation. But a beseeching, almost frightened look, from the young
dreamer, had each time induced her to desist.

The bottle of wine produced by Christel, had been emptied to the better
health of their host; it had been the lawyer's toast--who had returned
thanks silently by a slight nod. He had not drunk a drop, and hardly
waited for dinner to be over, to drag himself back to his own room, in
order to groan without restraint, and, unheard, curse his sufferings.

While the table was being cleared away, the others had gone upstairs t