ch was drawing
splendidly.

Edmund, who had not the slightest idea who the Commissionsrath was,
took out his cigar-case and offered it politely to this desperate
person, saying that he could vouch for both the quality and the drawing
powers of his cigars, although he had not got them from Hamburg, but
out of a shop in Frederick Street.

The Commissionsrath accepted, full of gratitude and pleasure, with a
"Much obliged, I'm sure." And as, the moment he touched the end of the
cigar which Edmund was smoking with the one just obtained from him,
this latter drew delightfully, and sent out the loveliest and most
delicious clouds of blue odoriferous smoke, he cried, enraptured:

"Oh, my dear sir! you have really rescued me from the profoundest
depths of misery. Do please to accept a thousand thanks. In fact, I
would almost venture to ask you to let me have one more of those
magnificent cigars of yours, to be going on with when this one is
finished."

Edmund said the contents of his cigar-case were quite at the
gentleman's disposal; and then they went on their several ways.

Presently, when the twilight had fallen a little, and Edmund, with the
idea for a picture in his head, was making his way, rather absently,
not paying much attention to those about him, pushing through amongst
the chairs and tables so as to get out of the crowd, the
Commissionsrath suddenly appeared in front of him, asking him if he
would not come and sit down at his table. Just as he was going to
decline--because he was longing to get away into the open country--he
suddenly caught sight of a young lady, the very incarnation of youth,
beauty, and delightsomeness, who was seated at the Commissionsrath's
table.

"My daughter, Albertine," the Commissionsrath said to Edmund, who was
gazing motionless at the lady, almost forgetting that it was incumbent
on him to bow to her. He recognised, at the first glance, in Albertine,
the beautiful creature whom he had come across at the last exhibition
as she was admiring one of his own pictures. She was describing and
pointing out the meaning of this fanciful picture to an old lady and
two girls who were with her; explaining the peculiarities of the
drawing and the grouping; applauding the painter, and saying that he
was quite a young artist, though so full of promise, and that she
wished she knew him. Edmund was standing close behind her, drinking in
the praise which flowed from her beautiful lips. His heart was