Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/78

 I advanced mechanically. "Good God!" exclaimed I, "is it really you, Julia? you here?"

At these words she rose and said to me coldly—"I am glad to see you here; your health appears to he extremely good."

Then taking her place again, she leaned towards her neighbor, without taking any more notice of me, and said to her mincingly—"Dear Bella, shall we have a fine spectacle next week?"

I was floored. The fear of ridicule finished the piteous figure that I made there. Saluting the ladies, to get off as soon as possible, I backed on to the counsellor, who was taking his cup of tea, the shock spilt the burning contents over his laced ruffle and plaited wristbands. They laughed loudly at my awkwardness; nevertheless I gained confidence to wrestle with fatality, for Julia alone had not smiled. Her look attached itself to me with an expression which gave me back a glimpse of hope. A few moments after she rose to go into the next room, where an improvisatore was amusing the company. The white dress of Julia brought out admirably the charms of her waist, the brilliancy of her snowy shoulders, and the elegance of contour in her whole person. There was in her extreme seductions; she resembled, by the purity of her bearing, a virgin of Mieris. Before going into the neighboring saloon, she turned towards me; it seemed to me then that this face, of such perfect and angelic beauty, was wrinkled with a slight expression of irony. I was seized with an indescribable uneasiness. Meanwhile, a few minutes after, I found Julia quite near me.

"I should like," said she to me in a whisper, and in the smoothest manner—"I should like to have you take your place at the pianoforte, to play one of those tender airs that I formerly loved so much."

As I went about answering her with all the enthusiasm which my former remembrances gave back to me, several persons passed between us, and we were separated. I tried for