“Not that one,” said Hamilton, hesitating; “your cousin’s kiss is still upon it.” The door opened suddenly, and she ran laughingly past him towards the drawing-room, just in time to enter it before her mother. A few minutes after, they were in the street, Hildegarde, as usual, close to her father’s elbow, but without taking his arm. Hamilton at first imagined Mr. Rosenberg’s presence would be a restraint, but he found, on the contrary, that he encouraged Hildegarde to talk and give her opinion freely, enjoying even nonsense when it came from her lips, and laughing with a heartiness which Hamilton had imagined impossible for a person who had always appeared so calm and reserved. Everything and everybody who passed afforded amusement; it was in vain Madame Rosenberg called to order; the laugh was partly stifled for a moment, to be renewed the next with double zest. Hamilton was extremely surprised, and began to think he should never be able to understand her character, and yet the simple fact was merely, that, being naturally gay, she only required the certainty of being able to please to induce her to yield to her innate inclination. She was not herself aware of this, for, on Hamilton’s making some remark to express his surprise, she said: “She believed she was only by degrees getting over the restraint of her school habits, all conversation being forbidden there, excepting during the recreation hours.” The crowd at the fair was immense. It was the first time Hamilton had seen anything of the kind, and he found it difficult to believe that in the paltry booths around him there could be anything for sale as good as might be had with less trouble in the town. The noise, the talking, and the bargaining amused him not a little, especially the latter; and he stood beside Madame Rosenberg for more than half an hour, while she haggled about the price of some muslin. At the end of this time she was at the point of walking off, (or, as she explained afterwards, pretending to do so,) when the shopman called her back, and with an assurance that he was giving her the “article” for next to nothing, prepared to measure what she required. This was a bargain! She had gained twenty-one kreutzers, about seven pence, and had the annoyance of carrying a large package home, for porters there were none. To anyone accustomed to English tradesmen, the almost positive necessity of bargaining in the generality of German shops is extremely tiresome and disagreeable. It is more than probable that the tradesmen would gladly establish fixed prices, were not the habits of bargaining as yet too strong in the middle and lower orders to be overcome.