"But he is not far wrong, dear mother!" Angelica said. "I could very
soon be seriously frightened at the extraordinary way in which that
whistling, and rattling, and hissing is going on in the chimney; and
the little tune which the tea-urn is singing, in such a tone of
profound sorrow, is--to me--so eery and uncomfortable, that I shall go
and blow out the spirit lamp, that there may be an end of it at once."

Angelica rose: her handkerchief fell. Moritz quickly picked it up and
handed it to her. She allowed a glance, full of soul, from her heavenly
eyes to rest upon him; he took her hand, and pressed it fervently to
his lips.

At that moment Marguerite shuddered convulsively, as if touched by some
electric current, and allowed the glass of punch, which she had just
poured out for Dagobert, to drop from her hand. It shattered to atoms
on the floor. She cast herself down at Madame von G.'s feet sobbing
bitterly--said she was a stupid creature, and implored that she might
be allowed to go to her room. She said that what they had been talking
about had made her frightened and nervous--although she had not
understood it; that she felt frightened still--as if she could not stay
in the room--though she could not explain why; that she was feeling
unwell, and would like to get to bed. So saying, she kissed Madame von
G.'s hands, and bedewed them with the tears she was shedding.

Dagobert felt the painfulness of the incident, and the necessity of
giving matters a different turn. He, too, fell at Madame von G.'s feet,
and in the most pathetic voice at his command, begged forgiveness for
the culprit. As regarded the stain of punch on the floor, he vowed that
he would put waxed brushes on his feet in the morning, and go figuring
athwart the boards in the most exquisite tours, and steps that ever
inspired the brain of a court dancing-master.

Madame von G., who had at first been looking very grave over
Marguerite's mishap, strange as it seemed, and inexplicable, cleared up
a little at Dagobert's words. She gave each of them her hand with a
smile and said, "Rise, and wipe away your tears. You are forgiven,
Marguerite; you have this champion of yours to thank that I do not
inflict a very severe punishment upon you. But I can't let you go
altogether scot free. If you _are_ a little out of sorts, you must try
to forget it. I shall ordain you to stay here, be more assiduous than
before at filling the gentlemen's glasses with the punc