“My dear Crescenz, you must take my advice, and put this Englishman quite out of your head. As to his studies, I know all about them, and I have heard that he is extremely clever and possessed of extraordinary information for his age; he can talk of history, politics, commerce and all those sort of things, like a professor! I can set your mind quite at ease with respect to Hildegarde; her whole mind is bent upon profiting as much as possible by the instruction which she is receiving, and if your Englishman has any fancy for her, she is as yet quite unconscious of it. Heaven help him! when she finds it out, that’s all—she will be a proper tyrant! For so far, however, nothing of the kind has become apparent on either side, and I have repeatedly made the most particular inquiries.” “From whom? How did you hear all this? I don’t understand——” “Why, my dear creature, who of all persons in the world do you think has been engaged as teacher? Theodor! Theodor Biedermann! _my_ Theodor! he has told me that the hours he spends here are his greatest recreation, that Mr. Hamilton is the most noble, charming, intellectual person in the world, and that he already feels a friendship for him which can only end with his life.” “And so Mr. Biedermann is Theodor,” said Crescenz; “I should never have thought it.” “Of course not, as I never spoke of him, excepting by his Christian name; you could not know him by inspiration!” “No—but he is not at all what I fancied.” “And pray what did you fancy him?” “Indeed, I don’t exactly know, but as you said he wrote beautiful verses and sang to the guitar, I thought he must look like a poet, a troubadour, or something of that sort.” “Ha, ha, ha! what a child you are!” cried Madame Berger superciliously, but at the same time colouring slightly. “What a complete child! and pray, my dear, can you inform me how a poet or troubadour ought to look?” “Not in the least like Mr. Biedermann,” cried Crescenz, apparently roused to something like anger by her friend’s manner. “Not in the least like Mr. Biedermann, who is just the most commonplace of commonplace students, with his open shirt-collar and long Henri-quatre beard, and his light hair and eyes, and red face! and——” “Stop—stop—my dear, I understand you now—Theodor is not tall enough to please you—he ought to have dark hair, black eyes, long eyelashes, and a pale complexion, all very interesting no doubt, but people answering to this description cannot always write verses, or sing to the guitar; and I can tell you that Mr. Hamilton can neither do one nor the other. Your sentimental love and admiration are all thrown away on him, Cressy; he does not think of you, and the sooner you put him out of your little head the better.” “You are unkind, Lina!” “And you still more so, Crescenz, to disparage poor Theodor so unnecessarily.” “But he is nothing to you now?”