The Candidate really went out for a book from his room, but he stepped
with the most stoical repose, though with a miserably backward-pulled
coat, through the astonished troop of children, and left the room.

When he returned, the coat sate quite correctly; the cushion evidently
was not there. The astonishment of the children rose to the highest
pitch, and there was no end to their conjectures. The Queen-bee imagined
that there must be a hole in his pocket, through which the pincushion
had fallen on the stairs. Petrea, in whose suggestion the joke
originated, was quite dismayed about the fate of the cushion.

Never once did it enter into the innocent heads of the children that the
Candidate had done all this in order to turn their intended surprise on
him into a surprise on themselves.

"How came you to be acquainted with Mrs. Gunilla W.?" asked Elise from
Jacobi when the lady was gone.

"When I was studying in----," replied he, "I routed a small room on the
ground-floor of the same house where she lived. As I at that time was in
very narrow circumstances, I had my dinner from an eating-house near,
where all was supplied at the lowest price; but it often was so
intolerably bad, that I was obliged to send it back untasted, and
endeavour, by a walk in the fresh air instead, to appease my hunger. I
had lived thus for some time, and was, as may be imagined, become meagre
enough, when Mrs. W., with whom I was not personally acquainted,
proposed to me, through her housekeeper, that she should provide me with
a dinner at the same low charge as the eating-house. I was astonished,
but extremely delighted, and thankfully accepted the proposal. I soon
discovered, however, that she wished in this way to become my benefactor
without its appearing so, and without my thanks being necessary. From
this day I lived in actual plenty. But her goodness did not end here.
During a severely cold winter, in which I went out in a very thin
great-coat, I received quite unexpectedly one trimmed with fur. From
whom it came I could not for some time discover, till chance gave me a
clue which led me to the Chamberlain's lady. But could I thank her for
it? No; she became regularly angry and scolded me if I spoke of the
gratitude which I felt and always shall feel for her kindness."

Tears filled the eyes of Jacobi as he told this, and both Elise's eyes
and those of her husband beamed with delight at this relation.

"It is," said Judge Prank, "