Part 14 (2/2)

The young girl did not understand him, and hastily raised the cover, but dropped it again in terror when she saw the sketch, while a burning blush overspread her face.

”Why, what is the matter?” asked Cornelia, taking out the picture. ”A study of a head! Herr von Ottmar,--a perfect likeness!” she exclaimed, undisturbed by the young artist's embarra.s.sment.

_Heinrich_ stepped forward and gazed in astonishment at the successful portrait.

”I must crave your pardon for presuming to steal your features, Herr Geheimrath,” stammered the artist. ”I know you are very highly esteemed in this circle, and could not refrain from robbing my portfolio of the picture, in order to give pleasure to those who a.s.semble here; otherwise this bold attempt of my talent would have remained entirely concealed.”

_Heinrich_ smilingly listened to the long apology, and watched, with silent amus.e.m.e.nt, an old gentleman standing at some distance from the artist, who was accompanying his speech with numerous bows. This gentleman was a certain Archivrath Linderer, an old friend of Veronica's. The worthy man possessed such a wonderful impulse of courtesy that he could not see any one make a bow without mechanically imitating him, and never heard any sort of speech without mentally making one also.

_Heinrich's_ inclination to laugh was so greatly aroused by this sight that he could scarcely utter a few rea.s.suring words in reply to the embarra.s.sed artist. He was about to go in search of Veronica, to question her about this comical man, when he saw Cornelia, who had been gazing at the picture in silence, go to a table and take up a pencil.

He went up and glanced over her shoulder at the portrait. She cast a hasty look at him and then fixed her eyes upon the sketch. She felt his beard touch her hair, and shrank back.

”Look, my dear A----!” she exclaimed. ”Here are only two false strokes!

When these are altered the picture will be masterly! The lines just over the eyebrows, expressing penetration, are very strongly marked in Herr von Ottmar, and you have not brought them out sufficiently. The upper portion of the brow is also remarkably expressive; there must be a shadow here, and here.”

”You may be right,” said A----, looking at Ottmar's forehead; ”make the strokes.”

Cornelia rapidly deepened the shadows, and all the bystanders exclaimed, in astonishment, ”Ah, that's it exactly! One would think you had studied the head!”

Cornelia quietly compared the picture with the original. ”It is a n.o.ble work! You have really been carried away by your subject! The eyes and mouth seem as if they were about to speak!”

”Your praise makes me very proud,” said the young man.

”And me!” whispered _Heinrich_, almost inaudibly.

”May I ask you to come in to tea?” cried Veronica, from the doorway.

”If any one of the gentlemen has anything to read aloud, he must be kind enough to defer it until after supper. It is already somewhat late.”

_Heinrich_ was in the act of offering Cornelia his arm when Veronica requested him to take her to the table. He patiently submitted to this duty, and the ill-a.s.sorted pair moved on into the tea-room followed by the others.

Cornelia and Hedwig stood together a moment alone. Hedwig threw herself on her friend's breast, and exclaimed, in a low, rapid tone,--

”I will give you the picture, Cornelia. I don't want it.”

”You don't want it?” asked the latter, in astonishment.

”What should I do with it? I think you would value it more, and take more pleasure in it than I,” replied Hedwig.

”But, Hedwig, you were always so enthusiastic about him.”

”Even if I were, it was all in joke. But you know and value him in earnest: I saw that to-day; and if _he_ had given the picture, he would have bestowed it on no one but you; so how could I take a thing to which I have no right? Keep it, I beg of you. It is of no value to me.”

”But ought I to accept it from you?” asked Cornelia. ”Shall I not be robbing you?”

”Robbing me? I owe you so much, and am so poor in comparison with you, that it will make me rich if I can offer anything that will please you.

I would give you more, far more, if I had it to bestow.”

She pressed Cornelia lovingly to her heart, and the young girls were holding each other in a close embrace when T---- came in search of them, and Heinrich appeared behind him in the doorway.

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