I said to myself， "can
  she ， too， be like the rest ？" I felt annoyed， and was about to withdraw
  ； but I remained ， notwithstanding， forming excuses for her conduct，
  fancying she did not mean it， and still hoping to receive some friendly
  recognition. The rest of the company now arrived. There was the Baron
  F ——， in an entire suit that dated from the coronation of Francis I.
  ； the Chancellor N ——， with his deaf wife ； the shabbily-dressed
  I ——， whose old-fashioned coat bore evidence of modern repairs ： this
  crowned the whole. I conversed with some of my acquaintances， but they
  answered me laconically. I was engaged in observing Miss B——， and did
  not notice that the women were whispering at the end of the room， that
  the murmur extended by degrees to the men ， that Madame S—— addressed
  the count with much warmth（this was all related to me subsequently by
  Miss B——）； till at length the count came up to me ， and took me to
  the window. "You know our ridiculous customs，" he said. "I perceive the
  company is rather displeased at your being here. I would not on any account
  ——" "I beg your excellency's pardon ！" I exclaimed. "I ought to have
  thought of this before， but I know you will forgive this little inattention.
  I was going ，" I added ， "some time ago ， but my evil genius detained
  me." And I smiled and bowed ， to take my leave. He shook me by the hand，
  in a manner which expressed everything. I hastened at once from the illustrious
  assembly， sprang into a carriage ， and drove to M ——。 I contemplated
  the setting sun from the top of the hill， and read that beautiful passage
  in Homer， where Ulysses is entertained by the hospitable herdsmen. This
  was indeed delightful. I returned home to supper in the evening. But few
  persons were assembled in the room. They had turned up a corner of the
  table-cloth ， and were playing at dice. The good-natured A —— came
  in. He laid down his hat when he saw me ， approached me， and said in
  a low tone， "You have met with a disagreeable adventure." "I ！" I exclaimed.
  "The count obliged you to withdraw from the assembly！" "Deuce take the
  assembly！" said I. "I was very glad to be gone." "I am delighted ，"
  he added， "that you take it so lightly. I am only sorry that it is already
  so much spoken of." The circumstance then began to pain me. I fancied
  that every one who sat down ， and even looked at me， was thinking of
  this incident ； and my heart became embittered.
  And now I could plunge a dagger into my bosom ， when I hear myself
  everywhere pitied ， and observe the triumph of my enemies， who say that
  this is always the case with vain persons ， whose heads are turned with
  conceit ， who affect to despise forms and such petty ， idle nonsense.
  Say what you will of fortitude， but show me the man who can patiently
  endure the laughter of fools， when they have obtained an advantage over
  him. 'Tis only when their nonsense is without foundation that one can
  suffer it without complaint.
  MARCH 16. Everything conspires against me. I met Miss B —— walking
  to-day. I could not help joining her； and， when we were at a little
  distance from her companions， I expressed my sense of her altered manner
  toward me. "O Werther ！" she said， in a tone of emotion ， "you ， who
  know my heart ， how could you so ill interpret my distress ？ What did
  I not suffer for you， from the moment you entered the room ！ I foresaw
  it all， a hundred times was I on the point of mentioning it to you. I
  knew that the S ——s and T ——s ， with their husbands， would quit
  the room， rather than remain in your company. I knew that the count would
  not break with them ： and now so much is said about it." "How！"