They placed me beside her; a looking-glass was before us, on which I threw stolen glances, and saw opposite to me--a shadow! I thought at first it was some illusion, and looked again: but again it revealed unmercifully to me a pale ghost beside the beautiful and dazzling Emelie.

'It is all over, irremediably over,' thought I, 'with my youth and my bloom! But if my husband and children only can love me, I can then resign youth and beauty.' "But again I felt compelled to look at the shadow in the glass, and grew quite melancholy.

Emelie also cast glances at the mirror, and drew comparisons, but with feelings far different to mine.

Then came Ernst, and I saw that he too made comparisons between us.
"He was, all this evening, very much occupied with Emelie.

I felt unwell and weak; I longed so to support myself on his arm; but he did not come near me the whole time: perhaps he imagined I was out of humour--perhaps I looked so.