As I told
you before, I have never asked her point-blank. Our talk once turned on
marriage. She said most positively she should never marry. 'Not if the
right man appeared?' I ventured to put in. 'Then least of all,' said
she suppressing a sigh. So one of us is wise it seems."

"Nonsense," said I. "All girls say the same to begin with. Afterwards
they think better of it."

"It seems, too, that she is a year older than we thought--only a month
younger than I am. Apropos, I have a request to make to you; that is,
if you are able--"

"Come, no preamble. You know that I am never shy of asking you to do me
a favour."

"To-morrow is her birthday. I had just contrived to find out the date,
when she said that she already felt herself very old, and was weary of
life. That if she knew she were to die on the morrow it would give her
no regret. I was busy just when you came in, writing out the air of one
of your songs: you know the one beginning, 'How could I e'er deserve
thee?' and I meant to give her a nosegay with it. But it does grieve me
to think that I have nothing better to offer her. She has her dress
fastened with an old black pin, and its glass head is cracked. A little
brooch would be sure to please her--only unluckily my piano and singing
lessons are over just now, most of my pupils are away, and so I cannot
get at some fees that are owing; and to sell any of my effects is
impossible, since all the superfluities I had--"

He looked with sad irony around his bare apartment.

"We must contrive something," I said. "It stands to reason that the
birthday must be duly honoured. Certainly I am no Cr[oe]sus at this
moment,"--and therewith I drew out a very small purse from my pocket,
in which rattled only a few insignificant coins--"but at all events I
have some superfluities. It now occurs to me that I have not used the
great _Passow_ for some months, never indeed, since I accidentally
discovered little _Rost_ at my father's, in which one can hunt out
words so much more conveniently. Come! The old folios will help us out
of a difficulty."

After a few weak endeavours to prevent my laying this offering upon the
altar of friendship, he accompanied me to my room, and then we each
loaded ourselves with a volume of the thick lexicon. And an hour later,
richer by five dollars, we betook ourselves to the shop of a small
working-goldsmith, as we had not courage to make our intended purchase
at one of the great jewellers of _U