"Albert is married and likes it extremely. Do you doubt it?"
"Oh, no, assuredly not," poor Benno hastened to reply; "but I----"
"Well, you, Herr Doctor?" his new relative persisted.
"I am not accustomed to ladies' society, and my manners are very rude," he said, sadly,--"very rude, madame,--and that unfits me for social enjoyment."
This confession found favour with Molly. A man who felt his deficiencies so profoundly deserved sympathy. She laid aside her air of severity and rejoined, kindly,--
"They can easily be improved. Come, sit down, Herr Doctor, and let us discuss the matter."
"What! Marriage?" Benno asked, in renewed dismay. This seemed like an immediate settlement of his future life, and he was naturally startled.
"Oh, no: only your manners, for the present. You are anxious to learn, I can see; all you want is some one to advise and train you. I will do it!"
"Oh, madame, how kind you are!" said the doctor, with so touching an expression of gratitude that his instructor of eighteen was entirely won over.
"I am your cousin, and my name is Molly," she rejoined. "We must call each other by our first names; so, Benno, come and sit down by me."
He complied with her invitation rather shyly, but the little lady soon put him entirely at his ease. She questioned him closely, and he soon grew very confidential; he told her about his awkwardness at the Nordheim villa, his consequent mortification, and his desperate but fruitless attempts to attain some degree of ease of manner. As he went on, all his awkwardness vanished and he showed himself as he was, frank, true, intelligent, and kindly. When Gersdorf returned at the end of a quarter of an hour, he found his wife and his cousin talking together like the best of friends.
"I have had the luggage brought here for the present," he said, "and I have sent to know if we can have rooms at the inn."
"Not at all necessary," said Molly; "we can stay here. I am sure Benno will make room for us; will you not, Benno?"
"Of course I will," the doctor exclaimed, eagerly. "I shall move out. Gronau and I can move into the garret, and you can have the lower rooms, Molly. I will go and have it arranged immediately."
He sprang up, and hurried out to do as he said.