“Mr. Hamilton certainly admired Crescenz when at Seon,” observed Major Stultz, sullenly.
“A mere jealous fancy on your part,” said Madame Rosenberg, eagerly.
“Not quite,” said Hamilton, “I plead guilty to the charge; in fact, I admire every pretty face I see, and both Mademoiselle Crescenz and her sister are remarkably handsome.”
“You see Mr. Hamilton treats the whole affair as a joke.”
“It is no joke to me, however—I have been a precipitate fool, and ought never to have thought of marrying such a girl as Crescenz—perhaps I do Mr. Hamilton injustice—but——”
“I am sure you do,” cried Madame Rosenberg, interrupting him, and then touching Hamilton’s elbow, she whispered, “Say something to him.”
“What can I say? Major Stultz can hardly expect that because he intends to marry a very pretty girl, everyone is to find her ugly and disagreeable, in order not to provoke his jealousy! I can avoid speaking to her, but I cannot think her one bit less pretty than she really is.”
“Come now, Mr. Hamilton,” said Madame Rosenberg, jocosely, “I see you are trying to tease the Major, but you must not go too far, or he will not understand you. Crescenz is very good-looking, but I have no doubt you have seen many prettier girls in England.” She turned towards him once more, and said in a very low voice: “I shall be greatly obliged if you will say that you admire Hildegarde still more than her sister.”
Hamilton found no difficulty in complying with her request, and was so eloquent on the theme given him, that he not only convinced Major Stultz that he had been mistaken, but induced him even to banter him on his apparently hopeless love. Madame Rosenberg did not wait for this result; she no sooner perceived that Hamilton intended to comply with her request than she walked on beside Crescenz, and began a severe reprimand. Had she delayed a few minutes, she would have found the young lady more disposed to listen to her and profit by her advice.
Unfortunately, Crescenz had overheard what Hamilton had said before Hildegarde’s name was mentioned, and her mind, buoyed up on a thousand vague hopes, would not now yield to the pressing reasonings of her mother; she said sullenly, “that Major Stultz was intolerably jealous—that his age rendered him unable to make allowances for younger people, and that he expected more than was reasonable if he thought she could marry him for any other cause than in order to obtain a home. She would tell him so the first convenient opportunity.”