His male friends had ridiculed, pitied, and soon left him alone, with one or two exceptions, who offered their purses generously and promised to stand by him.

He was lonely and heavy-hearted, and sat brooding over his small fire as he remembered the last New Year's Day at Plumfield, when at this hour he was dancing with his Daisy.
A tap at the door roused him, and with a careless 'Herein', he waited to see who had climbed so far for his sake.

It was the good Frau proudly bearing a tray, on which stood a bottle of wine and an astonishing cake bedecked with sugar-plums of every hue, and crowned with candles.
Fraulein Vogelstein followed, embracing a blooming rose-tree, above which her grey curls waved and her friendly face beamed joyfully as she cried: 'Dear Herr Blak, we bring you greetings and a little gift or two in honour of this ever-to-be-remembered day.

Best wishes! and may the new year bloom for you as beautifully as we your heart-warm friends desire.' 'Yes, yes, in truth we do, dear Herr,' added Frau Tetzel.

'Eat of this with-joy-made Kuchen, and drink to the health of the far-away beloved ones in the good wine.' Amused, yet touched by the kindness of the good souls, Nat thanked them both, and made them stay to enjoy the humble feast with him.