hat showed that to charm was with her no effort. The Englishman
was an excellent specimen of his nation, polished and intelligent,
without that haughty and graceless reserve which is so painful to
a finished man of the world. The host was himself ever animated and
cheerful, but calm and clear--and often addressed himself to the artist,
who was silent, and, like students in general, constrained. Walstein
himself, indeed, was not very talkative, but his manner indicated that
he was interested, and when he made an observation it was uttered with
facility, and arrested attention by its justness or its novelty. It was
an agreeable party.

They had discussed several light topics. At length they diverged to the
supernatural. Mr. Revel, as is customary with Englishmen, who are very
sceptical, affected for the moment a belief in spirits. With the rest
of the society, however, it was no light theme. Madame de Schulembourg
avowed her profound credulity. The artist was a decided votary.
Schulembourg philosophically accounted for many appearances, but he
was a magnetiser, and his explanations were more marvellous than the
portents.

'And you, Mr. Walstein,' said Madame de Schulembourg, 'what is your
opinion?'

'I am willing to yield to any faith that distracts my thoughts from the
burthen of daily reality,' replied Walstein.

'You would just suit Mr. Novalis, then,' observed Mr. Revel, bowing to
the sculptor.

'Novalis is an astrologer,' said Madame Schulembourg; 'I think he would
just suit you.'

'Destiny is a grand subject,' observed Walstein, 'and although I am not
prepared to say that I believe in fate, I should nevertheless not be
surprised to read my fortunes in the stars.'

'That has been the belief of great spirits,' observed the sculptor, his
countenance brightening with more assurance.

'It is true,' replied Walstein, 'I would rather err with my great
namesake and Napoleon than share the orthodoxy of ordinary mortality.'

'That is a dangerous speech, Baron,' said Schulembourg.

'With regard to destiny,' said Mr. Revel, who was in fact a materialist
of the old school, 'everything depends upon a man's nature; the
ambitious will rise, and the grovelling will crawl--those whose volition
is strong will believe in fate, and the weak-minded accounts for the
consequences of his own incongruities by execrating chance.'

Schulembourg shook his head. 'By a man's nature you mean his structure,'
said the physician, 'much,