Paul did not press his invitation, and drove off a minute or two later, not to return till the following day.  Malvine, however, put her threat into practice, and persuaded Wilhelm with gentle insistence to join her afternoon coffee party, and be introduced to all her lady visitors and take part in the conversations.  The introduction caused Malvine a little embarrassment.  Only now did she fully realize the fact that her guest was nobody in particular.  She was painfully conscious of the baldness of his name and his simple title of Dr., and the absence of any sort of distinguishing mark by the addition of which she might recommend him to the special notice of her circle of friends.  He was not a landed proprietor, nor a professor, not even a master.  Nor could she conscientiously say, “the celebrated Dr. Eynhardt.”  He had no military title, and to introduce him as “the handsome Dr. Eynhardt” would hardly do.  Fortunately she had no need to mention the latter adjective.  The ladies observed without further assistance how remarkably handsome this gentleman was with his girlish complexion, silky, raven-black hair and beard, and lustrous dark eyes.  Charming lips drew him constantly into the conversation. which, cultivated and many-sided, ranged from the weather to the recently-closed Paris Exhibition, from Sarasate to Vischer’s last novel.  Wilhelm had not a word to say on these important subjects, and so spoke in monosyllables, or not at all, till the ladies, who were most of them very animated, came to the conclusion that he was as stupid as he was handsome, “as is usually the case, my dear.”

At supper Malvine was indefatigable in asking Wilhelm how he liked this dark girl, and what he had said to that fair one, and what impression the piquante little one with the boyish curly head had made upon him?  When he frankly confessed that he had paid very little attention to any of the young ladies, and could scarcely remember one from another, she was very much discouraged.  It was decidedly no easy task to help this clumsy person along.  All three girls of whom she had spoken were heiresses, and beautiful and well-educated beside—­what more did he want?

Alas! he did not want anything at all, but to be left in peace, and that was the aggravating part of it.  Malvine had set her heart on marrying him, and marrying him well.  Her sentiment for him had long since given place to other and less agitating feelings, as beseemed a model wife, mother, and landed proprietress.  She was grateful to him for having recognized and set right the mistaken impression of her girlish heart.  She was seized with discomfort at the thought of what might have been.  Where would she be now if she had become Frau Dr. Eynhardt?  A woman without fortune, of no position or importance, and at the present moment even homeless and a wanderer.  As things had turned out she was wealthy and distinguished, the best people in Hamburg and the whole of Luneburg