foramoment,alfred'srespectforkaela'smammaunderwentasuddenshock,andlessenedconsiderably;but,dazzledbythelightwhichsurroundedkaela,hesoonfounditquitenaturalthattheoldladyshouldhavenoeyeforcolor.afterall,itwasofverylittleconsequence;forkaela'smammahadthebestofallpossessions;namely,kaelaherself.

alfredandkaelawerebetrothed,whichwasaverynaturalresult;andthebetrothalwasannouncedinthenewspaperofthelittletown.mamapurchasedthirtycopiesofthepaper,thatshemightcutouttheparagraphandsendittofriendsandacquaintances.thebetrothedpairwereveryhappy,andthemotherwashappytoo.shesaiditseemedlikeconnectingherselfwiththorwalsden.

"youareatruesuccessorofthorwalsden,"shesaidtoalfred;anditseemedtohimasif,inthisinstance,mammahadsaidacleverthing.kaelawassilent;buthereyesshone,herlipssmiled,everymovementwasgraceful,-infact,shewasbeautiful;thatcannotberepeatedtoooften.alfreddecidedtotakeabustofkaelaaswellasofhermother.theysattohimaccordingly,andsawhowhemouldedandformedthesoftclaywithhisfingers.

"isupposeitisonlyonouraccountthatyouperformthiscommon-placeworkyourself,insteadofleavingittoyourservanttodoallthatstickingtogether."

"itisreallynecessarythatishouldmouldtheclaymyself,"hereplied.

"ah,yes,youarealwayssopolite,"saidmamma,withasmile;andkaelasilentlypressedhishand,allsoiledasitwaswiththeclay.

thenheunfoldedtothemboththebeautiesofnature,inallherworks;hepointedouttothemhow,inthescaleofcreation,inanimatematterwasinferiortoanimatenature;theplantabovethemineral,theanimalabovetheplant,andmanabovethemall.hestrovetoshowthemhowthebeautyofthemindcouldbedisplayedintheoutwardform,andthatitwasthesculptor'stasktoseizeuponthatbeautyofexpression,andproduceitinhisworks.kaelastoodsilent,butnoddedinapprobationofwhathesaid,whilemamma-in-lawmadethefollowingconfession:-

"itisdifficulttofollowyou;butigohobblingalongafteryouwithmythoughts,thoughwhatyousaymakesmyheadwhirlroundandround.stillicontrivetolayholdonsomeofit."

kaela'sbeautyhadafirmholdonalfred;itfilledhissoul,andheldamasteryoverhim.beautybeamedfromkaela'severyfeature,glitteredinhereyes,lurkedinthecornersofhermouth,andpervadedeverymovementofheragilefingers.alfred,thesculptor,sawthis.hespokeonlytoher,thoughtonlyofher,andthetwobecameone;andsoitmaybesaidshespokemuch,forhewasalwaystalkingtoher;andheandshewereone.suchwasthebetrothal,andthencamethewedding,withbride's-maidsandweddingpresents,alldulymentionedintheweddingspeech.mamma-in-lawhadsetupthorwalsden'sbustattheendofthetable,attiredinadressing-gown;itwasherfancythatheshouldbeaguest.songsweresung,andcheersgiven;foritwasagaywedding,andtheywereahandsomepair."pygmalionlovedhisgalatea,"saidoneofthesongs.

"ah,thatissomeofyourmythologies,"saidmamma-in-law.

nextdaytheyouthfulpairstartedforcopenhagen,wheretheyweretolive;mamma-in-lawaccompaniedthem,toattendtothe"coarsework,"asshealwayscalledthedomesticarrangements.kaelalookedlikeadollinadoll'shouse,foreverythingwasbrightandnew,andsofine.theretheysat,allthree;andasforalfred,aproverbmaydescribehisposition-helookedlikeaswanamongstthemagicofformhadenchantedhim;hehadlookedatthecasketwithoutcaringtoinquirewhatitcontained,andthatomissionoftenbringsthegreatestunhappinessintomarriedlife.thecasketmaybeinjured,thegildingmayfalloff,andthenthepurchaserregretshisbargain.

inalargepartyitisverydisagreeabletofindabuttongivingway,withnostudsathandtofallbackupon;butitisworsestillinalargecompanytobeconsciousthatyourwifeandmother-in-lawaretalkingnonsense,andthatyoucannotdependuponyourselftoproducealittlereadywittocarryoffthestupidityofthewholeaffair.

theyoungmarriedpairoftensattogetherhandinhand;hewouldtalk,butshecouldonlynowandthenletfallawordinthesamemelodiousvoice,thesamebell-liketones.itwasamentalreliefwhensophy,oneofherfriends,cametopaythemavisit.sophywasnot,pretty.shewas,however,quitefreefromanyphysicaldeformity,althoughkaelausedtosayshewasalittlecrooked;butnoeye,saveanintimateacquaintance,wouldhavenoticedit.shewasaverysensiblegirl,yetitneveroccurredtoherthatshemightbeadangerouspersoninsuchahouse.herappearancecreatedanewatmosphereinthedoll'shouse,andairwasreallyrequired,theyallownedthat.theyfeltthewantofachangeofair,andconsequentlytheyoungcoupleandtheirmothertravelledtoitaly.

"thankheavenweareathomeagainwithinourownfourwalls,"saidmamma-in-lawanddaughterboth,ontheirreturnafterayear'sabsence.

"thereisnorealpleasureintravelling,"saidmamma;"totellthetruth,it'sverywearisome;ibegpardonforsayingso.iwassoonverytiredofit,althoughihadmychildrenwithme;and,besides,it'sveryexpensiveworktravelling,veryexpensive.andallthosegalleriesoneisexpectedtosee,andthequantityofthingsyouareobligedtorunafter!