As Wilhelm came up to Loulou she had ceased to look cross. Near her
stood the hero of the cotillion, the lieutenant of the Guards,
covered with the little favors the ladies had given him. But that
did not prevent her saying in quite a tender voice, "I shall see you
soon again, shall I not?" and Wilhelm pressed her little hand
warmly.
In the hall Wilhelm and Paul had to distribute gratuities to the
waiting servants, a custom (unknown in France and England) which
dishonors German hospitality, and a minute later they found
themselves outside in the starlit night. It blew icy cold over the
Thiergarten; across the darkness the snow-laden trees and the
closely-cropped grass looked feebly white. Wilhelm, shivering,
wrapped himself in his fur coat. Paul, on the other hand, did not
seem to mind the cold; he was still too hot with the excitement of
the evening. The waltz rang so clearly in his ears that he could
have danced over the snow-covered pavement, and the lights and
mirrors of the ballroom shone so clearly before his eyes, and
enveloped the dancers with such reality that the desert of the
silent, faintly-lit Koniggratzer Strasse was alive as if by ghosts.
He recalled to his mind the whole evening, and in the fullness of
his heart exclaimed, "Wilhelm, I hope never to forget this New
Year's Eve.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83