“These two fellows talked incessantly together too, which was all the more mortifying, because they gesticulated and laughed as if at some capital joke.  Franz was very quiet at first, for the other adventure had sobered him, but presently, with his mother’s advice running in his head, he resolved to make himself agreeable, if possible.

“So, at the next burst of merriment, he affected to have entered into the joke, threw himself back in his chair and laughed as loudly as they did.  The men stared for a second, then frowned, and then one of them shouted something to him very loudly, which he did not understand; so he placed his hand on his heart, put on an expressive smile, and offered to shake hands.  Thought he, that will be irresistible!  But he was mistaken.  The other man now called loudly to the waiter, and a moment after, Franz found himself being conveyed by the said waiter through the doorway into the hall, with the remark resounding in his ears:-

“’What a foolish young gentleman you must be!  Why can’t you keep out of people’s way?’

“‘My good friend,’ cried Mr. Franz, ’that’s not my plan at present.  I’m trying to make myself agreeable.’

“‘Oh—­pooh!—­bother agreeable,’ cried the waiter.  ’What’s the use of making yourself agreeable, if you’re always in the way?  Here!—­step back, sir! don’t you see the tray coming?’

“Franz had not noticed it, and would probably have got a thump on the head from it, if his friend the waiter had not pulled him back.  The man was a real good-natured, smiling German, and said:-

“’Come, young gentleman, here’s a candle;—­you’ve a bed-room here, of course.  Now, you take my advice, and go to bed.  You will be out of the way there, and perhaps you’ll get up wiser to-morrow.’

“Franz took the candlestick mechanically, but, said he:-

“’I understood there was to be dancing here tonight, and I can dance, and—­’

“‘Oh, pooh! bother dancing,’ interrupted the waiter.  ’What’s the use of dancing, if you’re to be in everybody’s way, and I know you will; you can’t help it.  Here, be advised for once, and go to bed.  I’ll bring you up some coffee before long.  Go quietly up now—­mind.  Good night.’

“Two minutes afterwards, Mr. Franz found himself walking up-stairs, as the waiter had ordered him to do, though he muttered something about ‘officious fellow’ as he went along.

“And positively he went to bed, as the officious fellow recommended; and while he lay there waiting for the coffee, he began wondering what could be the cause of the failure of his attempts to make himself agreeable.  Surely his mother was right—­surely there could be no doubt that, with his advantages—­but he did not go on with the sentence.

“Well, after puzzling for some time, a bright thought struck him.  It was entirely owing to that stupid nose affair, which his mother was so silly about.  Of course that was it!  He had done everything else she recommended, but he could not keep his head down at the same time, so people saw the snub!  Well, he would practise the attitude now, at any rate, till the coffee came!