very Hebe, in simple white muslin, with a
scarlet sash and scarlet bows on her sleeves,
and nothing whatever in her hair. She was
the simplest, and, to my taste, the most
elegantly-dressed girl, in the room. Her
beautiful head, with its rich, dark hair, looked
quite conspicuous, from the entire absence of
all artificial ornament. Standing there in the
gallery, in my stuff dress and overshoes, I
felt really proud of them. They created quite
a sensation as they came in; and as Anna
stood beside an orange-tree on the platform,
with all her simple beauty, in her white dress
and scarlet ribbon, and with her beaming,
happy face, I did not wonder at the host of
gentlemen that made their way to her.

Myra and I, and their servant Elise, who
by this time had joined us, grew quite excited.
"There," said Myra, " is Count E. I know
Anna will dance with him. And there is
young S.: I think she has promised him a
dance! And there is that little lieutenant;
and there is the student from N.; but
she won't dance with him — of that I am
sure!"

And so we watched the dumb show of
Anna's arrival, and subsided somewhat,
when, leaving Madame F. quietly seated
upon one of the couches among the orange-
trees, we beheld Anna waltz away with a tall
officer in blue uniform.

Again I began to grow desperately weary,
and looked round with longing eyes for dear
old Fraulein Sänchen's old-fashioned face. It
seemed to me that she never would come!
Fortunately, a little love-making in the
foreground of our gallery made me forget my
fatigue for the time. There sat just before
us a very pretty girl, very young and childish-
looking. I caught a glimpse of a sweet, child-
like brow, and long, drooping eyelashes, as she
sat in the front row with her married sister.
Presently, one of the gentlemen from the ballroom
below made his appearance. I fancy he
was a student; but I did not admire his look
at all. He was evidently desperately in love
with the pretty girl; he forgot all about the
ball, and talked most earnestly to her behind
the married sister's back; she smiled, and
said very little, but listened, and seemed also
to forget the ball. Soon, another gentleman
arrived from the ball-room below; and then
jealousy was added to love. The first lover
turned black as a thunder-cloud, and I thought
looked more unpleasant than ever; he did not
go away, but stood scowling like a jealous
lover in a picture of Stephanoff's; and the girl
listened with the same smile and the same
innocent brow to the second lover, the married
sister all the time looking down into the ball-
room.

This amused me for a while, and then
another group also amused me. A dowager,
in her velvet and grandeur, attended by a
queer little old officer, a regular German
Major O'Dowd — with spectacles on, and a
plumed hat in his hand — brought up a beautiful
young lady to speak to some dear friend
in the gallery; and lots of other grandees
from below found their way into our upper
regions, till we also seemed all astir and
gorgeous. But, O! joyful sight! amid all
the grand arrivals, there was Fraulein Sänchen,
with my shawl on her arm.

But the poor, dear old soul was in no hurry
to go, now she was once here, and I could not
find in my heart to deprive her of a glimpse
of the gay world, which was such a novelty
to her. Besides, she was very anxious to point
out to me two grand gentlemen in whom she
takes great interest, a young Herr Baron and
the son of a certain Frau Geheimräthinn, who
is a great lady. But I was too tired even to
care about her favourites, though I have
heard so much of them for the last several
weeks, without having yet had the pleasure
of seeing them. These two young fellows
went to one of the court balls the other night;
and the next morning I had, however, the
pleasure of seeing the mother of one of them
hanging out clothes in the garden. That is
truly German! So is also the following
Household Festival: — One evening, Fraulein
S. came in to beg us to go down stairs to see
something very beautiful, in their room. We
of course went; and, in their strange curiosity-
shop of a room, among painted saints, and
gilt cabinets, and picture-frames, stood a little
table, upon which was placed a very gaily-
painted transparency, with queer pink angels
fluttering about, and scrolls, and various
extraordinary arabesques encircling a verse
wishing health and happiness to the father:
this being his name-day. Candles burned
behind the transparency, pots of ivy and
flowers were placed on either side, making
a pleasant greenness; and in front lay a
drawing, in a gilt frame, a very grand chalk
head of a boy, with a falcon on his wrist,
and in a very grand frame indeed! The
transparency, the drawing, and the frame
were all the work of little Wilhelm. And
there he stood, as proud as could be! his
black, sharp little eyes sparkling with de-
light; and there was his father, a tall and
singularly handsome man, to-night with a
smile of fatherly pride on his face, which
made him look still more handsome; and
there was Mrs. S. dressed all in her best
and all the little brothers and sisters, and
the old grandmother, with the baby in her
arms, and several neighbours besides. It
certainly was one of the prettiest little household
festivals I ever saw.

Sometimes we send for little Wilhelm to
play the " zitter " to us. He is about twelve,
has a very brown, red face, black eyes, and
ear-rings in his ears. He plays very prettily.
His fat little hands, call forth such sweet,
low music from that little instrument—
music, like fairy voices, sounding in solitary
green spots among the mountains. There
is a peculiar spirit in the zitter, and it is
wonderfully adapted for Alpine melodies—