"But, as it happens most frequently in such cases, she whose favor I should have valued most highly was not one of my admirers. This was a young and very beautiful lady, whom I saw every evening at the circus; but she always assumed a prodigiously haughty and reserved air, although I invariably made her a special bow when they applauded. "'How do you like our ladies?' the emperor asked me one evening as we were walking, arm-in-arm, up and down the reception room. "'So so! your majesty,' I replied, for discretion was always Caspar Schmenckel's special gift. "'You are hard to please,' said the emperor. 'How do you like the little Malikowsky?' "'What name was that?' suddenly asked Berger, who had been sitting immovable, his brow buried in his hand, and who now, for the first time, raised his head. "Malikowsky, old gentleman," repeated Mr. Schmenckel. "Another Russian slice, landlord. With your leave, gentlemen. I'll fill my pipe once more." Oswald looked at Berger. He felt as if a strange nervous twitching was agitating his calm, serious features, and as if the eyes betrayed an unusual excitement but the next moment Berger had again hid his brow in his hand. Mr. Schmenckel continued his story: "'The little Malikowsky?' I asked. 'Who is she?' "'Have you never noticed a lady in black who sits very near the imperial box? Pale face, large eyes, chin rather long?' "'Certainly, your majesty; but she seems to be a shy bird.' "'Nonsense! dear Schmenckel; sheer nonsense! Between us be it said, the lady once stood in somewhat nearer relations to our house than I liked. We have given her a husband, a Polish nobleman who was ruined; her reputation was not very good, his is very bad; he has nothing, she has half a million souls----'" "How much is that in Prussian money?" inquired the fat habitué of the Green Hat, who kept a grocery-store in the town. "Five million dollars, twenty-six silver groschen, and fourpence--'thus they suit each other exactly. When she wants to get rid of him for a time, she sends him to his estates in Poland. Just now he is again on his travels. You had better make a conquest of her, and I will say then that Schmenckel, of Vienna, is not only the strongest and the handsomest, but also the luckiest man on earth.'