lent," and was now crammed full of ladies' and gentlemen's cloaks, goloshes, and clogs. The tones of a whirling Strauss-waltz resounded from beneath, and made a partly cheering and partly depressing impression upon me. I thought, "If I were to set myself down here among all these empty habiliments, listening to this music, and at the same time think, 'Here I sit like a forlorn stranger in the land, whilst the people below are dancing and amusing themselves,' I should assuredly become melancholy, and resolve upon writing an appendix to King Solomon's book of Ecclesiasticus, All is transitory!' But if 'I were to go down and mingle with the gay company, amuse myself with looking at them, and while they float around in the waltz and galopp, myself. . . . my . . . ."

A thought quickly came into my head. I detained Karin, (for that was the name of my obliging maid,) and requested her not to let any one know that I had arrived, but assist me in putting on my black silk dress and a few other things requisite for a quick toilet. I designed to steal into the company unannounced and unknown. Karin entered into my idea, thought it delightful, and assisted me quickly and cleverly, so that after the lapse of half an hour I could make a respectable appearance in the saloon, and hope to form an unobserved member of the "foule," which my stepmother, I was well aware from former times, was wont to assemble at her soirées. And I candidly confess that I was by no means displeased at the thought of looking about me a little before I was seen, and prepare, as it were, for a fresh acquaintance with my relatives, whom I had not seen for so many years. "When I entered the dancing saloon they were

dancing a galopp. I moved, as it were, by stealth along the wall, and was so fortunate as to find a place in a corner. The music, the bustle, and the brilliant glare of lights, turned my head almost dizzy. After recovering in some measure from this first impression, I looked curiously around for the faces of the various members of my family; above all, my eyes were directed in search of my youngest sister Selma, though I almost despaired of recognising again in the damsel of twenty the tender, delicate child that I had left ten years ago.

"But the only daughter of the house," thought I, "the heroine of the day, must still be easy to discover among the party! She must take the precedence in the dance, and be pre-eminently honoured and distinguished!"

And I sought among the floating pairs of the galopp. The dance appeared to me enchanting.

"Ah! les reines du bal!" now exclaimed an elderly gentleman, sitting quite close to me, with lively, but also somewhat decrepid appearance and sunken features. I looked up and saw a young officer of the Dragoons dancing with two young ladies who attracted my entire attention to them, so beautiful and brilliant were they. I concluded with certainty that one of them must be Selma; but which? They had a strong sisterly likeness, though on a more minute observation it was just that very resemblance, which rendered them dissimilar. For the elegant and charming gracefulness which distinguished the one, attired in white gauze and blond, was wanting in the other, who was dressed in rose-pink crape, and of a taller figure; however, she was indisputably the handsomest. Her dancing was marked by that buoyancy of spirit, which as it is said

animates Fanny Elssler; while the dancing of the other (arrayed in white) possessed more of the pure, dignified gracefulness which I myself had admired in Marie Taglioni. Either of the two might be Selma. The more I regarded the one in white, the more she captivated me, and the more I wished she might be my sister.

But is it possible then, that the somewhat self-willed "little doll"-as Selma called herself in the days of childhood-could transform herself into this sylph-like being whose countenance beamed with spirit and innocent joy? The other, on the contrary, had more of the proud "self," peculiar to the child Selma. "Perhaps it is my sister Selma? Should I be able to love her?"

While the contest between the white and red rose thus continued in my mind, and determined me intentionally not to ask for an explanation from my neighbour, but to leave it to chance, I heard the gentleman who had used the words, "les reines du bal," congratulated by another, that he was a rich bachelor!"

"The life of a rich bachelor," said he, with a sigh, which excited in me the presumption that he might have as many wives and children as Rochus Pumpernickel," the life of a rich bachelor is after all a continual feast."

"The life of a rich bachelor," rejoined the addressed gentleman, likewise sighing, "is a brilliant dejeuner, an insipid diner, and a most wretched souper."

Whilst listening to the conversation of these two gentlemen, and contemplating "les reines du bal, " I observed that a gentleman of about forty, in naval uniform, with an open and energetic exterior, and a

pair of keen, honest-looking eyes, gazed at me. This gave me pleasure-I know not why. I also remarked that Neptune's son was gradually steering his course nearer and nearer to me, and suddenly he sat by my side. I do not to this very hour rightly know how we fell into conversation, and still less, how I came to communicate to him my conjectures respecting the two most brilliant stars of the ball; but least of all, how I could show myself so communicative and familiar towards a person who was an entire stranger to me. He smiled at my confidence, and asked me if I was not also desirous of being informed about himself. I answered, that I had gone out this evening on a voyage of discovery, taken chance for my pilot, and wished to resign to him the steering of the course. My new acquaintance warned me against the danger of leaving myself to the direction of such a steersman, and inquired in a delicate manner into the motive of my enterprise. I replied evasively; the conversation became playful; and I fancied as if a great man-of-war was amusing itself by chasing a little brig which knew how to elude it by rapid unexpected evolutions. Thus we came quite unawares into a very deep channel, namely, into a discussion on the soul and on life, and were soon engaged in a contest respecting that which constitutes our highest weal or woe. Our views on this subject were very opposite; for while I sought the haven of happiness in peace of mind and contentment, Neptune's son maintained that it might be found in mere existence and in the power of feeling. I contended that with this he would never reach the haven, but ever remain in the open tempest-tossed sea. He made no objection to this. It was on that very open

tempestuous sea that he had found happiness. I expressed my sentiments against the tumultuous life of a seaman, and he against a life of quiet retirement and comfort. I spoke against the perils of shipwreck under the command of feeling, and reminded him of Oden's words in "Havamal:" "Mutable is what man possesses in the breast of another." The seaman supported his argument by reference to Christianity, and maintained with its apostle, that without charity every thing in the world is but as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. I bowed in homage to love of mankind. This was just my theme. But in reference to particular circumstances, I found it highly expedient ever to be able to sing:

"I care for nobody, no, not I,

And nobody cares for me."

The seaman laughed, but shook his head and rejoined: "You would not be able, nor would you wish to sing thus, if you had the happiness-to possess a child."

"Perhaps so," retorted I, in a tone of indifference, inwardly delighted to discover in my new acquaintance what I had already surmised-a married man, and the father of a family. We were here interrupted by the ending of the galopp; the ladies were seeking restingplaces, and my neighbour rose. The dancing-room now became unobstructed, and permitted a view into the saloon through the open doors, in which turbancrowned graces occupied the divan, allowing several gentlemen with stars and orders to stand around them.

"Ah, that is she!" thought I, with hasty emotions when a lady of noble figure and carriage made her