s had so
many possessions as Louise, and none treated them with so much
importance; for she had in the highest degree that kind of passion which
we will call property-passion. Her bandboxes and bundles burst
themselves out of the space in which she wished to stow them, and came
tumbling down upon her head. She accused Henrik of being guilty of these
accidents; and certain it is that he helped her, not without some
mischievous pleasure, to put them up again in their places.

Louise was well known in the family for her love of what was old; the
more shabby a dress was, the more distinguished she seemed to think it;
and the more faded a shawl, the more, according to her, it resembled a
Cashmere. This affection for old things extended itself sometimes to
cakes, biscuits, creams, etc., which often occasioned Henrik to inquire
whether an article of a doubtful date had its origin before or after the
Flood. We will here add to the description of Louise a few touches,
which may make the reader more fully acquainted with her character.

Pure was she both in Heart and intention, with great love of truth, and
a high moral sense, although too much given to lecturing, and sometimes
a little wanting in charity towards erring fellow-mortals. She had much
of her father's understanding and prudence, but came, of course, far
short of him in knowledge of mankind and in experience, although now, in
her eighteenth year, she considered herself to have a perfect knowledge
of mankind. The moral worth of her soul mirrored itself in her exterior,
which, without her being handsome, pleased, and inspired a degree of
confidence in her, because good sense expressed itself in her calm
glance, and her whole demeanour was that of a decided and well-balanced
character. A certain comic humour in her would often dissolve her solemn
mien and important looks into the most hearty laughter; and when Louise
laughed, she bore a charming resemblance to her mother, for she
possessed Elise's beautiful mouth and teeth.

She was as industrious as an ant, and in the highest degree helpful to
those who were deserving of help, but less merciful than Lafontaine's
ants were to thoughtless crickets and their fellows. Louise had three
hobby-horses, although she never would confess that she had a single
one. The first was to work tapestry; the second, to read sermons; and
the third, to play Patience, and more especially Postillion. A fourth
had of late began to discover it