nutiae.
Frau von Baldereck declared herself ready to receive Mr. Wohlfart.

"One word more," said Fink, rising; "what I have confided to you, good
fairy"--the fairy weighed upward of ten stone--"must remain a secret
between us. I am sure I may trust to your delicacy what, were it to be
spoken of by others, I should resent as a liberty taken with me and my
friend, Mr. Wohlfart." He pronounced the name so ironically that the
lady felt convinced that this gentleman, now under the disguise of a
clerk, would soon burst upon the world as a prince.

"But," said she, as they parted, "how shall I introduce him to my
acquaintance?"

"Only as my best friend; for whom I will answer, in every respect, as a
great addition to our circle."

When Fink found himself in the street, he muttered irreverently enough,
"How the old lady swallowed all my inventions, to be sure! As the son of
plain honest parents, they would have given the poor lad the cold
shoulder; now, however, they will all behave with a courtesy that will
charm my young friend. I never thought that old sand-hole and its
tumble-down hut would turn out so useful."

The seed that Fink had sown fell on fruitful soil. Frau von Baldereck,
who had a maternal design upon him, was only too glad to have a chance
of him as her daughter's partner in these dancing-lessons, which she had
not expected him to attend. The few hints that she ventured to throw out
about Anton being confirmed by certain mysterious observations made by
two officers, a rumor became current that a gentleman of immense
fortune, for whom the Emperor of Russia had purchased extensive
possessions in America, would make his appearance at the
dancing-lessons.

A few days later, Anton was taken by Fink to call upon Frau von
Baldereck, from whom he received the most gracious, nay, pressing
invitation to join their projected _reunions_.

The visit over, Anton, tripping down stairs on his Mentor's arm,
remarked, in all simplicity, that he was surprised to find it so easy to
converse with people of distinction.

Fink muttered something, which might or might not be an assent, and
said, "On the whole, I am satisfied with you. Only you must, this
winter, get over that confounded habit of blushing. It's bad enough in a
black neckcloth, but what will it be in a white one? You will look like
an apoplectic Cupid."

Frau von Baldereck, however, thought this modesty exceedingly touching;
and when her daughter announced d