hn's expense, possibly with a view to future
distinction as a prima donna of the opera. Her _maestro_ had told her
repeatedly that she had naturally a better voice than Nilsson, and
that, if she could dry up for ever her fountain of tears, she might
become a great _artiste_. For Ilka had the deplorable habit of crying
on very slight provocation. The _maestro_, with his wild hair, his
long, polished nails, and his frantic gesticulations, frightened and
distressed her; she thought and spoke of him as a kind of curious
animal, and nothing could persuade her that he and she belonged to the
same species. Nor did Mr. Hahn and Fritz seem to her more than half
human. Their constant presents and attentions sometimes annoyed, and
frequently alarmed her. She could not rid herself of the apprehension,
that behind their honeyed words and manners they were hiding some
sinister purpose. She could not comprehend how her mother could talk
so freely and fearlessly with them. She thought of Hansel, who was
away in the war, and many an evening she stood outside the
telegraph-office with a quaking heart, waiting for the bulletin with
the names of the dead and the wounded; but Hansel's name was never
among them. And many a night she lay awake, yearning for Hansel,
praying for him, and blessing him. She seemed to hear his gay and
careless laugh ringing from Alp to Alp--how different from the polite
smirk of the junior, the fat grin of the senior Hahn! She saw his
tall, agile figure standing upon a rock leaning upon his gun, outlined
against the blue horizon,--and she heard his strong clear voice
yodling and calling to her from afar. It is not to be wondered at that
Ilka did not thrive in Berlin as well as her mother did; just as the
tender-petaled alpine rose can only breathe the cool breezes of its
native mountains, and withers and droops if transplanted to a garden.

Mother Uberta was by no means blind to the fact that both Fritz and
his father had designs on her daughter, and having convinced herself
that their prosperity rested on a solid basis, she was not disinclined
to favor their suits. The only difficulty was to make a choice between
them; and having ascertained that Fritz was entirely dependent upon
his father's bounty, she quickly decided in favor of the father. But
she was too wise to allow Mr. Hahn to suspect that he was a desirable
son-in-law, being rather addicted to the belief that men only worship
what seems utterly beyond th