Mr.Schroeter joined them, cigars were lit, and all tried to be as pleasant as possible.

Mr.
Liebold rose to ask permission from the principal and his sister--that is, if it would not be considered an interruption--to sing a few concerted pieces with some of his colleagues.

As he had for several years regularly made the same proposition in the same words, all were prepared for it, and Sabine good-naturedly cried, "Of course, Mr.
Liebold; half the pleasure would be gone if we had not our quartette." Accordingly, the four singers began.

Mr.Specht was the first tenor, Liebold the second, Birnbaum and Balbus took the base.

These formed the musical section of the counting-house, and their voices went really very well together, with the exception of Specht's being rather too loud, and Liebold's rather too low; but their audience was well-disposed, the evening exquisite, and all listened with pleasure.
"It's an absurd thing," began Fink, when the applause was over, "that a certain sequence of tones should touch the heart, and call forth tears from men in whom all other gentle emotions are dead and gone.