These first steps along the flowery road were downward , not upward ; and the constant sense of disloyalty which soon began to haunt him made Nat feel , in the few quiet hours he gave himself , that all was not well with him , spite of the happy whirl in which he lived . ` Another month , and then I will be steady , ' he said more than once , trying to excuse the delay by the fact that all was new to him , that his friends at home wished him to be happy , and that society was giving him the polish he needed . But as each month slipped away it grew harder to escape ; he was inevitably drawn on , and it was so easy to drift with the tide that he deferred the evil day as long as possible . Winter festivities followed the more wholesome summer pleasures , and Nat found them more costly ; for the hospitable ladies expected some return from the stranger ; and carriages , bouquets , theatre tickets , and all the little expenses a young man can not escape at such times , told heavily on the purse which seemed bottomless at first . Taking Mr Laurie for his model , Nat became quite a gallant , and was universally liked ; for through all the newly acquired airs and graces the genuine honesty and simplicity of his character plainly shone , winning confidence and affection from all who knew him . Among these was a certain amiable old lady with a musical daughter -- well-born but poor , and very anxious to marry the aforesaid daughter to some wealthy man . Nat 's little fictions concerning his prospects and friends charmed the gnadige Frau as much as his music and devoted manners did the sentimental Minna . Their quiet parlour seemed homelike and restful to Nat , when tired of gayer scenes ; and the motherly interest of the elder lady was sweet and comfortable to him ; while the tender blue eyes of the pretty girl were always so full of welcome when he came , of regret when he left , and of admiration when he played to her , that he found it impossible to keep away from this attractive spot . He meant no harm , and feared no danger , having confided to the Frau Mamma that he was betrothed ; so he continued to call , little dreaming what ambitious hopes the old lady cherished , nor the peril there was in receiving the adoration of a romantic German girl , till it was too late to spare her pain and himself great regret . Of course some inkling of these new and agreeable experiences got into the voluminous letters he never was too gay , too busy , or too tired to write each week ; and while Daisy rejoiced over his happiness and success , and the boys laughed at the idea of ` old Chirper coming out as a society man ' , the elders looked sober , and said among themselves : ` He is going too fast ; he must have a word of warning , or trouble may come . ' But Mr Laurie said : ` Oh , let him have his fling ; he 's been dependent and repressed long enough . He ca n't go far with the money he has , and I 've no fear of his getting into debt . He 's too timid and too honest to be reckless . It is his first taste of freedom ; let him enjoy it , and he 'll work the better by and by ; I know -- and I 'm sure I 'm right . ' So the warnings were very gentle , and the good people waited anxiously to hear more of hard study , and less of ` splendid times ' . Daisy sometimes wondered , with a pang of her faithful heart , if one of the charming Minnas , Hildegardes , and Lottchens mentioned were not stealing her Nat away from her ; but she never asked , always wrote calmly and cheerfully , and looked in vain for any hint of change in the letters that were worn out with much reading . Month after month slipped away , till the holidays came with gifts , good wishes , and brilliant festivities . Nat expected to enjoy himself very much , and did at first ; for a German Christmas is a spectacle worth seeing . But he paid dearly for the abandon with which he threw himself into the gaieties of that memorable week ; and on New Year 's Day the reckoning came . It seemed as if some malicious fairy had prepared the surprises that arrived , so unwelcome were they , so magical the change they wrought , turning his happy world into a scene of desolation and despair as suddenly as a transformation at the pantomime .
The first came in the morning when , duly armed with costly bouquets and bon-bons , he went to thank XXXXX and her mother for the braces embroidered with forget-me-nots and the silk socks knit by the old lady 's nimble fingers , which he had found upon his table that day .
Hildegardes Minna Nat adoration fictions gayer left parlour right week