sweetness:

"I would gladly be as gay as you, but I have gone through so much to
sadden me. Laugh and be merry to your heart's content; I am glad you
should. But with regard to the poor hunted man, I fear he is my father's
freedman, the most faithful, honest soul! Did your exciting hunt drive
any one out of the goldsmith's shop?"

Mary shook her head; then she asked:

"Is it Hiram, the stammerer, the trainer, that they are hunting?"

"I fear it is."

"Yes, yes," said the child. "Stay--oh, dear! it will grieve you again,
but I think--I think they said--the shoes belonged--but I did
not attend. However, they were talking of a groom--a freedman--a
stammerer...."

"Then they certainly are hunting down an innocent man," cried Paula
with a deep sigh; and she sat down again in front of her toilet-table to
finish dressing. Her hands still moved mechanically, but she was lost in
thought; she answered the child vaguely, and let her rummage in her open
trunk till Mary pulled out the necklace that had been bereft of its gem,
and hung it round her neck. Just then there was a knock at the door and
Katharina, the widow Susannah's little daughter, came into the room.
The young girl, to whom the governor's wife wished to marry her tall son
scarcely reached to Paula's shoulder, but she was plump and pleasant to
look upon; as neat as if she had just been taken out of a box, with a
fresh, merry lovable little face. When she laughed she showed a gleaming
row of small teeth, set rather wide apart, but as white as snow; and
her bright eyes beamed on the world as gladly as though they had nothing
that was not pleasing to look for, innocent mischief to dream of. She
too, tried to win Paula's favor; but with none of Mary's devoted and
unvarying enthusiasm. Often, to be sure, she would devote herself to
Paula with such stormy vehemence that the elder girl was forced to be
repellent; then, on the other hand, if she fancied her self slighted,
or treated more coolly than Mary, she would turn her back on Paula with
sulky jealousy, temper and pouting. It always was in Paula's power to
put an end to the "Water-wagtails tantrums"--which generally had their
comic side--by a kind word or kiss; but without some such advances
Katharina was quite capable of indulging her humors to the utmost.

On the present occasion she flew into Paula's arm, and when her friend
begged, more quietly than usual that she would allow her first to finish
dressing, she