Page:Tales of two countries.djvu/216

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
202
TALES OF TWO COUNTRIES.

And Miss Betty sighed as she gazed at the little strip of the fiord which she could see between the two high houses.

—She gave no thought, as she sat there, to Cousin Hans; but he thought of Miss Schrappe as he passed with hasty steps up the street.

Never had he met a young lady who was less to his taste. The fact that he had been rude to her did not make him like her better. We are not inclined to find those people amiable who have been the occasion of misbehaviour on our own part. It was a sort of comfort to him to repeat to himself, "Who would want to marry her? "

Then his thoughts wandered to the charmer who was to leave town to-morrow. He realized his fate in all its bitterness, and he felt a great longing to pour forth the sorrow of his soul to a friend who could understand him.

But it was not easy to find a sympathetic friend at that time of night.

After all, Uncle Frederick was his confidant in many matters; he would look him up.

As he knew that Uncle Frederick was at Aunt Maren's, he betook himself towards the Palace in order to meet him on his way back from Homan's Town. He chose one of the narrow avenues on the right, which he knew to be his uncle's favourite route; and a little way up the hill he seated himself on a bench to wait.

It must be unusually lively at Aunt Maren's to