“But you were only talking about the opera to papa, who would have been very glad if you had allowed him to hear what Mr. Hamilton was telling Lina Berger about a picnic party on the Thames. Lina says he is the most fascinating young man she ever met, not even excepting Theodor Biedermann!”
“And Mr. Hamilton will tell you, if you ask him, that Madame Berger is the most fascinating young woman he ever met with, not even excepting Crescenz Rosenberg.”
“Oh, dear; I forgot to tell you that Major Stultz was quite mistaken. Lina explained everything before she left yesterday evening. Mr. Hamilton only went to hear her play waltzes!”
Hildegarde shook her head incredulously.
“You do not believe her?”
“No.”
“Well, I do; and I will manage to find out from Mr. Hamilton the whole truth.”
“Don’t attempt anything of the kind, Crescenz; you will only make yourself ridiculous.”
“We shall see,” said Crescenz, nodding her head as she left the room.
When she returned to the drawing-room her hair was braided in the usual manner; and she rather unwillingly confessed that she had seen Hamilton, who had said that he “thought braids infinitely more becoming than curls for young and pretty persons!”