rful how often these little surprises
could be repeated, and how the Candidate let himself so constantly be
surprised. But he was too much occupied by his own thoughts (the
thoughts of course of a student of philosophy!) in order to be on his
guard against the tricks of these young merry-andrews. One day----

But before we proceed further we must observe, that although the
toilette of the Candidate seemed externally to be always so well
supplied, yet still it was, in fact, in but a very indifferent
condition. No wonder, therefore, was it, that though his hat outwardly
was always well brushed, and was apparently in good order, yet that it
had within a sadly tattered lining.

One day, therefore, as the Candidate had laid his hat in a corner of the
room, and was sitting near the sofa in a very earnest conversation,
Henrik, Petrea, and Eva gathered themselves about that symbol of freedom
with the most suspicious airs and gestures of conspiracy. Nobody paid
any attention to them, when after awhile the Candidate rose to leave the
room, and going through the door would have put on his hat--but, behold,
a very singular revolution had taken place within it, and a mass of tin
soldiers, stones, matches, and heaven knows what besides, came rattling
down upon his head; and even one little chimney-sweeper fell astride on
his nose. Nothing could compare with the immeasurable delight of the
children at the astonishment of the Candidate, and the comic grimaces
and head-shakings with which he received this their not very polite
jest.

No wonder was it, therefore, that the children loved the Candidate so
well.

The little Queen-bee, however, who more and more began to reckon herself
as one of the grown people, and only very rarely took part in the
conspiracies against the Candidate, shook her head at this prank of her
brother and sisters, and looked out a new piece of dark silk from her
drawer (Louise was a hoarder by nature), possessed herself secretly of
the Candidate's hat, and with some little help from her mother, had then
her secret pleasure also, and could laugh in her own sleeve at his
amazement when he discovered a bran new lining in his hat.

"Our little Queen-bee is a sensible little girl," said the Judge,
well-pleased, to his wife, who had made him a third in this plot; and
after that day she was called both by father and mother "our sensible
little Queen-bee."

Scarcely had Jacobi been three weeks in the family of the