Adam and Eve.

So they went on building castles in the air in the midst of the dark
clouds that overhung their sky; and even Julie joined gladly in this
cheerful tone, though her own heart was very heavy.

But, as the day of parting drew nearer and nearer, Felix's mood became
steadily more depressed and wretched. Schnetz was almost the only one
of his friends whom he cared to see; and he expended all his eloquence
in trying to persuade him to follow his example and shake the dust of
the Old World from his feet. Why should he lie here and grow rusty? why
should he, in his best years, voluntarily withdraw himself from life
and play the valetudinarian before his time? On the other side of the
water, abilities like his would not be allowed to lie idle, his good
wife would renew her youth again, and he might safely trust to the
Yankees to provide him with plenty of material for the exercise of his
Thersites-like black art during his leisure moments. To all this
Schnetz replied by silently and thoughtfully rubbing his ear, without,
however, giving any reason to believe that he absolutely declined the
proposal. Indeed, he seemed to be bent upon keeping the lonely and
dejected youngster in as good spirits as possible, and was especially
active in trying to laugh away Felix's distaste for the ball, as an
attack of sentimentality that a future American ought not to yield to.
If it was a bother for him to look after a costume, he would be very
glad to lend him a helping hand.

Felix thanked him for his good-will. He had, among the various relics
of his travels, the complete suit of a Spanish majo, which he had
brought with him from Mexico. The velvet jacket bordered with silver,
the knee-breeches and the gay silk stockings, the red net for the hair,
and whatever else belonged to the complete equipment of a Spanish
dandy, became him excellently; and though in his present mood he had no
thoughts of attempting any conquests, he was, nevertheless, glad that
he would be able to show himself to his artist friends in a genuine
national costume, and not in any patched-up frippery.

But, when the night of the ball arrived, it was long before he could
make up his mind to put on this gay dress. He had packed his luggage,
paid his landlady, and made all his preparations for departure. When at
last he stood alone before his glass in his empty room, surrounded only
by his trunks, and proceeded to fasten the net in his hair, he could
not he