He left her before his darling friend came back. The tell-tale powder-snow which had fallen on the bridegroom--that butterfly-dust which the very slightest touch of these white butterflies leaves upon our fingers (and hence it was a good idea of Pitt's to put a tax on powder in 1795)--told some of the story, but the eyes of the friend and the bride, gleaming in happy tears, told him it all. The two friends looked for some time at each other with embarrassed smiles, and Lenette looked at the ground. Leibgeber said, "Hem! Hem!" twice over, and at length, in his perplexity, remarked, "We've had a delightful evening!" He took up a position behind the bridegroom's chair, to be out of sight, and laid his hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it right heartily; but the happy Siebenkæs could restrain himself no longer; he stood up, resigned the bride's hand, and the two friends, at last, after the long yearning of the long day, as if celebrating the moment of their meeting, stood silently embracing, united by angels, with Heaven all around them. His heart beating higher, the bridegroom would fain have widened and completed this circle of union, by joining his bride and his friend in one embrace; but the bride and the friend took each one side of him, each embracing only him. Then three pure heavens opened in glory in three pure hearts; and nothing was there but God, love, and happiness, and the little earthly tear which hangs on all our joy-flowers, here below. In this their great joy and bliss, overborne by unwonted emotion, and feeling almost strange to each other, they had scarce the courage to look into each other's tearful eyes; and Leibgeber went away in silence, without a word of parting or good night. CHAPTER II. HOME FUN--SUNDRY FORMAL CALLS--THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE--A LOVE QUARREL, AND A FEW HARD WORDS--ANTIPATHETIC INK ON THE WALL-- FRIENDSHIP OF THE SATIRISTS--GOVERNMENT OF KUHSCHNAPPEL.