rposely late in the hope
of finding Fraulein Ellrich already there. She was not present; but he
was not kept long in suspense before a waiter opened the door, and the
lovely girl appeared accompanied by a stately gentleman and a stout
lady. They seemed to be known to the servants, for as soon as they
appeared the headwaiter and his subordinates rushed toward them, and
with many bows and scrapes took their wraps from them and ushered them
to their places.

Wilhelm, who possessed very little knowledge of society, was somewhat
at a loss. Ought he to recognize the young lady? If he followed his
inclination, he certainly would do so. But her parents! They seemed to
be cold and reserved-looking. Happily all fell out for the best. The
Ellrichs walked straight to the table where he was sitting, and in a
moment Wilhelm was greeting his lovely acquaintance with a low bow. Her
quick eyes had already recognized him from the doorway. She returned
his greeting smiling and blushing, and as her father nodded kindly, the
ice was broken. Wilhelm introduced himself, and the councilor gave him
the tips of his fingers and said: "If you have no objection we will sit
at your table." His wife, who gazed at Wilhelm through a gold
"pince-nez" with hardly concealed surprise, took her place next to him;
on the other side sat her husband, and opposite the daughter's face
smiled at him.

The councilor was a well-preserved man of about fifty, of good height,
dressed in a well-made gray traveling suit, with a light gray silk tie
adorned with a pin of black pearl. His closely-cut hair was very thin,
and had almost disappeared from the top of his head. His chin was
clean-shaven, but his well-brushed whiskers and closely-cut mustache
showed signs of gray. His light blue eyes were cold and rather
tired-looking, at the corners of the mouth were evident signs of
indolence, and his whole appearance gave an impression of
self-consciousness mixed with indifference toward the rest of mankind;
his wife, stout, blooming, and tranquil, appeared to be a kindly soul.

The conversation opened trivially on the circumstances of Wilhelm
meeting with Fraulein Ellrich, and on the beauty of the neighborhood,
which Herr Ellrich glorified as not being overrun.

"I would much rather recommend it for quiet than Switzerland with its
crowds," he said.

Wilhelm agreed with him, and related how he was induced by the romantic
aspect of the place to give up his original plans,