At last she fell to the asking of herself whether, in the same city with him, often among his friends, hearing his latest intimate remarks—­things homely redolent of him as hot bread of the oven—­she was ever to meet this man upon whom her thoughts were bent to the eclipse of all others.  She desired to meet him for comparison’s sake, and to criticize a popular hero.  It was inconceivable that any one popular could approach her standard, but she was curious; flame played about him; she had some expectation of easing a spiteful sentiment created by the recent subjection of her thoughts to the prodigious little Jew; and some feeling of closer pity for Prince Marko she had, which urged her to be rid of her delusion as to the existence of a wonder-working man on our earth, that she might be sympathetically kind to the prince, perhaps compliant, and so please her parents, be good and dull, and please everybody, and adieu to dreams, good night, and so to sleep with the beasts! . . .

Calling one afternoon on a new acquaintance of the flat table-land she liked tripping down to from her heights, Clotilde found the lady in supreme toilette, glowing, bubbling:  ‘Such a breakfast, my dear!’ The costly profusion, the anecdotes, the wit, the fun, the copious draughts of the choicest of life—­was there ever anything to match it?  Never in that lady’s recollection, or her husband’s either, she exclaimed.  And where was the breakfast?  Why, at Alvan’s, to be sure; where else could such a breakfast be?

‘And you know Alvan!’ cried Clotilde, catching excitement from the lady’s flush.

‘Alvan is one of my husband’s closest friends’

Clotilde put on the playful frenzy; she made show of wringing her hands:  ’Oh! happy you! you know Alvan?  And everybody is to know him except me? why?  I proclaim it unjust.  Because I am unmarried?  I’ll take a husband to-morrow morning to be entitled to meet Alvan in the evening.’

The playful frenzy is accepted in its exact innocent signification of ‘this is my pretty wilful will and way,’ and the lady responded to it cordially; for it is pleasant to have some one to show, and pleasant to assist some one eager to see:  besides, many had petitioned her for a sight of Alvan; she was used to the request.

‘You’re not obliged to wait for to-morrow,’ she said.  ’Come to one of our gatherings to-night.  Alvan will be here.’

‘You invite me?’

’Distinctly.  Pray, come.  He is sure to be here.  We have his promise, and Alvan never fails.  Was it not Frau v.  Crestow who did us the favour of our introduction?  She will bring you.’