He recovered himself quickly, and not wishing to have a misunderstanding with the countess too soon, finished his sentence thus:
“God forbid that I should ever forget your goodness! I will do all in my power to deserve it.”
“Very well, begin at once.”
“Shall I go over to Stollborg and wake up my uncle?”
“No; keep near my niece, and talk to her from time to time in the course of the evening. Take advantage of the opportunity to eulogize the baron.”
“But I do not know him.”
“You have seen him, that is enough. You can speak as if you had been struck by his fine manner and noble figure.”
“I should be quite at your service if I had seen him; but—”
“Ah! you have not yet paid your respects to him. Come, then, and I will introduce you. But no, there is another way. Go and ask Margaret to point him out to you, and exclaim immediately about the beauty of his features and person. That will be simple, spontaneous, and worth a great deal more than a studied eulogy.”
“But why should my opinion, even supposing it to be sincere, have the slightest influence with your niece?”