Beside all this, his clothes were bad, and although he had a house of his own, it was only a little one.

No, Wilhelm as a relation was not to be thought of.
He was not of their own flesh and blood, like that good, delightful Paul Haber.
It was not in Paul's nature to wait patiently in suspense, and he determined to put an end to his uncertainty.

Malvine seemed to him as desirable as ever, and he had built up in his mind a future, of which Malvine and her sixty thousand thalers were the foundation.

He must know whether she were for him or not; in the one case to transform his castle in the air into reality without loss of time, and in the other case not to waste the best years of his life in aimless disappointment; not to let other opportunities slip by.

He was not quite clear, however, on one point, To whom should he make his proposal?
To Frau Brohl?
That would be the most practicable way, no doubt, as the bent, pale old lady, with the soft, sighing voice, ruled everything in the house, and if she promised the hand of her grand-daughter, she would certainly keep her word.