Page:The German Novelists (Volume 3).djvu/42

32 or other occupations deprived him of her sight, his sorrow broke forth in mournful tones, expressive of all the agony of disappointed affection.

Mela proved an apt pupil, and soon acquired a knowledge of the new language. Indeed she often made an experiment, to learn whether she interpreted it correctly, and invariably found that she could influence the invisible musician’s tones according to her own feelings. Mild and modest young maidens are more correct in observation, and possess quicker perceptions than those wild careless creatures, sporting from object to object, like a simple butterfly, without fixing long upon any. Fair Mela’s vanity was much flattered at finding she could bring just such strains as she liked best, whether mournful or merry, from her young neighbour’s lute.

Occupied with trade, her mother paid no kind of attention to the music; and her daughter did not think it necessary to impart her late observations. She rather wished, either from inclination, or as a proof of her sagacity, to show that she understood, and also knew how to reply to the symbolical language, in some other that would discover equal skill. With this view, she requested her mother to permit her to place a few flower-pots in the window, and the good lady no longer observing the prying young neighbour, and dreaming of no possibility of any harm, easily gave her permission. Now to attend to