The band was playing the second movement of the Sinfonie, and while the music lasted, she sat in quiet and pleased attention, her chin resting on her half-opened hand, and her glance directed musingly towards the little group of statuary that stands at the outer extremity of the concert-ground. The old gentleman, meanwhile, studied the programme and took a pull or two at the schoppen of beer which the kellner had brought him. When at length the intermission came, the two engaged in conversation, and then all the sparkle and mischievous charm of the young lady's face came to the surface; and if she had been beautiful before, her loveliness was now well-nigh intolerable. Presently the old gentleman lit a cigar, and, getting up from the table, walked off to smoke it, leaving his daughter temporarily alone. It will not be necessary for me to observe at this point, that I was already in love: although I do not think I had yet realised the fact myself. Never having experienced any sensations of the kind before, I perhaps failed to attribute to them their full significance. But an incident which now occurred informed my ignorance. A guttural voice from somewhere behind me made itself heard above the low hum of general conversation round about. 'Ach Herrje!' it exclaimed, in a tone of impertinent admiration, 'was für eine Schönheit!' I turned about in pure amazement, unable to believe that any human being could have the audacity to launch his impudence against this gracious paragon. But I could not doubt the evidence of my own senses. An overgrown young lieutenant of cavalry was sitting at a table close by, his hands resting on the hilt of his long sabre, and his pale-blue prominent eyes fixed insolently upon my young lady--I say, upon _mine_! There was in his manner an insufferable swagger and self-complacent conceit which would have been hard enough to put up with at any time, but which under these circumstances made my hands turn cold and my face hot with ire. I knew something of the fellow--he was a certain Von Wurst, reputed to be immensely rich, and he occupied the first _étage_ of the same building whose sky parlour was dedicated to my muse. He had a scandalous reputation in Dresden as a gambler and libertine; and if I had never troubled myself to verify the reports of his ill-fame heretofore, I had not the least hesitation about believing the worst of them now.