‘Avice—will she? She is pale, and her hair—yes, her hair is beautiful, isn’t it?’ ‘Mr. Wellfield! your own sister, whom you see daily, and you ask if her hair is beautiful!’ ‘Well, it is the fact of her being my own sister, I suppose, whom I see daily, that makes me ask,’ said Jerome, calmly. ‘I am not so—forgetful in all cases. But I was going to say that, though I don’t in the least know when I shall be free again, yet, when I am free, I am going to Cologne, where I have some musical friends. Cologne is not far from Elberthal, and, if you will allow me, Miss Ford’—he hesitated in a manner which his hearer thought decidedly becoming to him—‘I should like exceedingly to come over and visit your atelier, if I may—if it is not too great a favour that I ask.’ ‘Oh no! If you care to see my poor attempts at pictures, I shall be delighted to show you them.’ ‘I have heard great things of your “poor attempt at pictures,” Miss Ford.’ ‘Have you? Some partial friend——’ ‘It was Professor Wilhelmi, your master, I think.’ ‘Yes. Well, he is a very partial friend. He has been goodness itself to me. I should never have done anything without his help. But when you see what he has praised, you can judge for yourself.’ ‘I am no judge when the work is the work of a friend,’ said Jerome, smiling. ‘To-morrow they expect at Trockenau a most formidable person—Herr Rudolf Falkenberg.’ ‘The Frankfort banker?’ ‘I don’t know whether he is a banker or not, though I believe I have heard that he is. The important thing to me is, that he is a great judge of pictures; and that, as he is rich, he can afford to buy them when they please him: but I have heard as well that he is very severe, and most difficult to please.’ ‘Surely that does not trouble you!’ ‘It would trouble me if Herr Falkenberg were to see some of my pictures, and pronounce them very bad.’ ‘As if he would have the ill-breeding to do so!’ Sara laughed. ‘I see, you would never make a critic,’ she said; and just then, coming to the end of a long walk, they found themselves suddenly in the full blaze of light which illuminated the linden-planted square where all the little tables stand, at which people sup or dine, or take coffee, wine, or ices. A score of heads and twice as many eyes were quickly turned upon the tall and certainly striking-looking couple who thus advanced into the light. ‘Take my arm,’ murmured Wellfield; and Sara, dazzled by the light in which they so suddenly found themselves, and a little embarrassed by the amount of attention bestowed upon her and her companion by the well-bred crowd, complied mechanically, and they walked rather quickly through the square. ‘I think, if we turn this way, we shall probably find the others,’ said Jerome, as they disappeared into the comparative obscurity under the shade of the Kurhaus. ‘Very likely,’ said Sara, and at that moment Hans Lemde came breathlessly after them.