At Ems, the morning of the same day, some time after the Trockenau procession had gone past on its way to the station, two young ladies seated themselves on a bench in the Kurgarten, beside the broad walk. They had brought their novels and their fancy-work, and were of one mind and one spirit in their purpose to idle away the morning, watch the visitors, and, after the manner of Miss Austen’s sarcastic heroes and ingenuous heroines, ‘quiz the company.’ They were English; they were the daughters of an M.P. for one of the great manufacturing towns. They were staying at the Vier Jahreszeiten, and they had closely observed all the rest of the company staying there. Until a few days ago, the most perfect sisterly harmony had reigned between them; but a lamentable discord had lately arisen, and that upon the subject of a man.
‘Dora, see! There’s your wonderful dark angel coming mooning along with his sister. Pray don’t miss the chance of looking at them, since you admire them so much.’
‘You are boiling over with spite, Lucy. I will look at them. I like looking at them, and so do you, but you won’t own it.’
‘I!’ ejaculated Lucy, with supreme contempt. ‘He is very handsome, I grant you; but I believe him to be a sham.’
‘What do you mean by a sham?’
‘He looks like a hero of romance, and I believe he is a very commonplace personage after all.’
‘No one with such a voice could be commonplace, Lucy. Sims Reeves is nothing to him.’
‘I should say you were cracked,’ replied Lucy, witheringly.
‘Should you? What a powerful imagination you must have! He is coming down this way. I am sure “a dark angel” is an excellent name for him.’