'You would condemn him to a severe doom if you would forbid his striving at least to deserve it. Without your good opinion, your forgiveness would be a mere passing act of charity; without the former he would be a beggar all his life, with it he would become a millionnaire.'
Hannè coloured at the reminiscences these words awakened; but she only said,
'You put a high value on it.'
'Not higher than my friend does. Your regard, charming Miss Hannè, is what he seeks, and were he not attracted to this place by a perhaps too vivid souvenir of you, I should not be standing here as his spokesman. Your sister has kindly promised to obtain for me a few minutes' private conversation with your father; if your hatred of my unfortunate friend cannot be softened, tell me so, I pray you, at once, and I shall spare your father a communication which may perhaps remind him of disagreeable impressions, for without your entire pardon I cannot fulfil my errand, and I will not attempt to do it by halves.'
'You are a very zealous agent, there is no denying that. Well, you may speak to my father; I will not be the most hard-hearted of the family. Besides, I really feel that your friend has an advocate in my own inclination for a joke, though his jest was carried rather too far.'
'I expected this goodness from you, or my friend would not have painted you in true colours.'
'And pray in what colours did he paint me, if I may venture to ask? It would be difficult to give anyone's likeness on so short an acquaintance.'
'They were as radiant as if he had borrowed for his pencil tints from heaven to do justice to the original ... He adores you, to say the absolute truth.'
'Indeed! He really does me too much honour,' she said, stiffly, and in an offended tone of voice.
At the 'tints from heaven,' and 'justice to the original,' she had smiled; at the 'absolute truth,' she became angry.