t was natural that, sitting beside the young painter, whose
heart was beaming with the bliss of a timid affection, she should
be several degrees more sentimental than was usual on the tea and
reading-aloud occasions; and she lisped in the prettiest manner about
such subjects as poetic feeling, depth of idea, childlike simplicity,
and so forth.

The evening breeze had begun to sigh, breathing perfume from the
flowers and wafting their scents on its wings; and two nightingales
were singing a lovely duetto in among the thick darkling leafage, in
the tenderest accents of love-complaining.

Albertine began, quoting from Fouque--

"A rustling, whisper'd singing
Breaks thro' the leaves of spring,
And over heart, and sense, and soul
A web of love doth fling."

And Edmund, grown less timid now that the twilight was falling more
deeply, took her hand and laid it on his heart, whilst he went on,
continuing the quotation--

"Did I, in whispered music, sing
What my heart hears--aright--
From that sweet lay would burst, in fire,
Love's own Eternal Light."

Albertine withdrew her hand, but only to take off her glove, and then
give the hand back to this lucky youngster. He was just going to kiss
it fervently, when the Commissionsrath broke in with a

"Oh! I say! How chilly it's getting! I wish I had brought my great
coat! Put on your shawl, Tiny! It's a fine Turkish shawl, my dear
painter--cost fifty ducats. Wrap yourself up in it, Tiny; we must be
getting home. Good-bye, my _dear_ sir."

Edmund was here inspired by a happy thought. He took out his cigar case
and offered the Commissionsrath a third Havannah.

"I really am excessively obliged to you," the Commissionsrath said,
delighted; "you really are most kind. The police don't let one smoke
walking about in the Thiergarten, for fear of the grass getting burnt;
one enjoys a pipe or a cigar more for that very reason."

Bosswinkel went up to the lamp to light the cigar, and Edmund took
advantage of his doing so to whisper to Albertine, very shyly, that he
hoped she would let him walk home with her. She put her arm in his,
they went on together, and Bosswinkel, when he joined them, seemed to
consider it a matter of course that Edmund was going to walk with them
all the way to town.

Anybody who has once been young, and in love--or who is both now at
this present time (th