what is
that?"

She suddenly broke off. Her sharp eye had seen that one of the young
ladies at the opposite end of the room had become faint, and that the
elder ones were busied over her. In a second she was at her side,
noiselessly and swiftly doing what was necessary. The insensible girl
was borne into the sleeping-chamber, and soon came to herself again.
When the countess returned, she said, in passing, to Jansen:

"The poor child! Think of practising nine hours daily, and eating
nothing all the while! What existences some people do lead!" Then to
the others: "The Fraeulein feels better already. The excessive heat was
the cause of her illness. Perhaps if we should turn down the gas just
for a little while, the temperature would be somewhat more bearable."

Several of the young people hastened to execute this hint. When the
gas-lights were extinguished, the candles on the piano and a lamp
on the mantel over the fireplace gave only a subdued light, so the
clear night sky, with its moon and stars, shed its lustre through the
wide-opened windows. In this twilight, every one seemed to feel happy
and at ease. A young person, who had previously been entreated to sing
in vain, now mustered up sufficient courage, and her sweet, sympathetic
contralto voice sounded charmingly in the breathless stillness. Jansen
had seated himself in a corner of the sofa in the adjoining room; it
did him good to sit there in the dim light, with half-closed eyes,
watching the play of the shadows as they passed before him, drinking in
the soft tones and thinking all the while upon his happiness. He spoke
with no one. Rosenbusch had at first taken a seat by his side; but as
he had received only monosyllabic answers, he had soon withdrawn again.
Felix had disappeared without taking leave; he could not longer
suppress all that he felt. And now the scene in the _salon_ grew
livelier and more fantastic. No one thought any longer of playing an
entire piece of music. The instrument merely served to illustrate this
or that assertion, as it came up in the course of the confused
conversation; now a few chords were struck, now the hoarse voice of
some composer hummed an air in order to explain some passage; the
younger guests had separated into little groups, and were apparently
engaged in other conversation than that relating to art. In the midst
of all was heard from time to time the high, thin voice of the
professor, who was continually in search of ne