than in the second twenty-eight years of say, is there no way in which it could be life; and that her chance was as good as managed?" and Elizabeth's eyes sparked lost whenever the pretty young Elizabeth with excitement at the mere idea of it. should take her place by the side of herself in the ranks of young ladies.

Imagine, then, Mina's feelings when, under these circumstances, the death of the old aunt brought Emmy also into the family circle, and Mina saw her enter the room in all the bloom of youth and beauty. It was a feeling of despair and jealousy which at that moment mastered her, and made Emmy find in her an enemy instead of a sister and friend.

"Certainly," said Otto, as if in earnest, "you may dress up as a young man, and go as my secretary or footman. I will tell Mr. Arnold that I am in the habit of having you to stand behind my chair." Elizabeth's merry laugh resounded through the room, and they all rose from the table.

After dinner it was the custom of the Welters family to disperse; each went his own way, to meet again after a few hours at the tea-table. In the warm summer But wholly ignorant of the sensation she evenings they used generally to have their had awakened, Emmy sat at the dinner- tea in the verandah, behind the house, and table with her young heart full of happiness the tea hour was usually the most sociable and content. From time to time she in the whole day. And there were almost looked round, first at one and then at an- always visitors at tea-time, for in Dilburg other; they talked and laughed; they such visits were still in vogue and more in drank to her return home. Not the fashion than morning calls; but the visits smallest discord disturbed the delightful which were made at this time of day were harmony. not mere visits of ceremony. The gentle"A propos," said Otto, as they were men lighted their cigars, and some even about to rise from the table, "I have some old Dutch pipes, to keep the Burg omaster news." They all looked up at him with in company. The ladies took their work curiosity, and he laughed heartily at the out of their work-bags, and if the visitors impression his words had made. "What were not intimate friends, who would ceris it?" they all exclaimed. tainly stay the whole evening, they would at least remain for an hour or two before anything was said about going away.

"Guess, my good people," said Otto, "you shall not have the news so cheap." "An engagement?" cried Mina. And people came readily and often to "Any one dead?" asked Elizabeth, al- the Burgomaster's; both he and his wife most at the same moment.

"Don't be so childish, Otto," said Mrs. Welters, with a tinge of sharpness in her tone; "if you know anything, tell it.”

"I am summoned to Beckley to Mr. Arnold professionally."

were thoroughly hospitable; they both possessed a certain tact in receiving in an agreeable manner, which made their visitors feel at their ease and at home. In summer they had a little music; in winter, cards; but at all times there was a warm All, excepting, of course, Emmy, looked welcome. It was only on this first evening astonished, and Elizabeth uttered an excla- of Emmy's arrival, which was of course mation of joy and clapped her hands, whilst known all over the town, that people she said, "That is splendid; now we shall kept away not to disturb the family know something of the mysterious inhabitants of Beckley, and the wild young lady on the white horse. Otto, how unlucky it is that you cannot take me with you; do Emmy was taken possession of by Eliza

circle.

During the hours which intervened between dinner and tea on the first evening,

beth, who conducted her up-stairs to a recently added wing of the house, where were five new adjoining rooms opening into the same landing, and looking out upon the large, pleasant garden.

Two of these rooms were spare rooms, and the other three were arranged for the daughters of the family.

CHAPTER III.

TWO MARTYRS.

Ir was a sultry summer evening. Betwixt the light and darkness, Otto pursued his way across the market-place already mentioned, into the broad street, where Emmy felt agreeably surprised by the with hasty tread he ascended the steps of a sight of the neatly furnished room which handsome house. Here lived the brother she was to call her own. Not being aware of the first Mrs. Welters, Uncle Van Stein, of the new building, she was afraid she and his daughter Mary, the same Mary of should have to share a room with Mina and Elizabeth, and she was too much accustomed to liberty in this respect not to set a value on it.

whom Otto had spoken to Emmy in their walk from the railway station. The bell which Otto pulled cautiously, gave a dull sound as if it were muffled.

It was Mary's slight form which came to meet Otto in the half-lighted passage.

"Our rooms are next to each other, Emmy; is not that nice? I am sure we shall love each other. I have always longed for "Softly, Otto," she said, when he had. a sister who would laugh when I am mer- greeted her with a kiss, "papa is poorly this ry, and cry when I am sad, for I don't evening; he did not sleep well last night, count Mina, she is so fearfully old; but and is now resting a little; come in we two make such a nice pair; we shall read together, and in winter go out together. I am so delighted that you are come home."

So chattered Elizabeth, all in one breath, whilst she helped Emmy to unpack her trunks; then the two girls went down together to the family tea.

An hour later, when they had all assembled in the drawing-room, and Elizabeth was seated at the piano, Otto took his leave.

Before he left the room he looked round once more at the family group, and a feeling of satisfaction arose in his mind as he saw Emmy standing behind Elizabeth at the piano with an expression of content in her face.

quietly.”

Otto smiled, but in the dim light his smile could not be seen. He knew that "papa is poorly," had the same meaning as when at the French Court it used to be said, "Le prince est nerveux," whenever the Dauphin was naughty like any other human child.

"Papa is poorly," said Mary always, when her papa's humor was somewhat worse than usual, when nothing was to his mind, and no one could make it so.

Of all the unfortunate men in the worldand their name is legion-Mr Van Stein was certainly one of the most unfortunate.

With a fortune which made him independent, and permitted him to gratify all his wishes in reason-with a daughter who loved him and whose patience with him was inexhaustible-he had apparently so much and yet so little, because the only condition for the enjoyment of these advantages—a sound body-was wanting to him.

Mr. Van Stein was one of those victims of the science of medicine whom one too

often meets with, one of those milch cows by one of the windows, that was quite closed of the doctors who form the main support and even protected with felt fastened round of their practice—one of the favorite cus- the opening, as if the summer temperature tomers of apothecaries and druggists, who did not prevail outside. consume annually a quantity of draughts, powders, pills, and other medicaments, more than sufficient to help a healthy man into his grave, but to which a sickly body sometimes offers a wonderful resistance confounded in his mind with the idea of even for

years.

For twenty years Uncle Van Stein had been the willing martyr of numberless

It was fearfully hot and close in the room thus shut up, but in Mr. Van Stein's imagination dwelt a spectre, and that spectre was called a draught, and was hopelessly

fresh air, of which it made the enjoyment impossible for him.

Mary tells me that you have not slept doctors. He placed great reliance on the well, uncle," said Otto, after he had greeted science from which he expected his cure. the invalid.

"I never sleep well."

No curative system had been invented which he had not tried-no means of re- "You take too little exercise, uncle. lief which he had not applied-no absti- We are having such gloriously fine days nence to which he had not willingly sub- just now. Why don't you go out? I am jected himself. But he had made himself sure it would do you good."

papa."

66

rather worse than better, and without any "My young friend, you know nothing definite pain or disease he never felt well. about the matter. Is it not time for my It cannot be denied that in his condition pills, Mary? You are certain to be after there was much imagination whereby, in a the time. It's late; I knew it was ! " certain sense, he deserved the name of "It is not five minutes after the time, hypochondriac which Otto had given him; yet there is no doubt that this imagination "You must be exact. I cannot see was in itself a disease, for which one ought why you should be always too soon or too to feel compassion. This disease which late. And my tea? Am I to get no tea had gradually come over him had also this evening?" He had himself put off gradually benumbed his mental faculties. the tea in order that he might sleep undisIn his youth he was a pleasant, sociable turbed; but Mary did not remind him of man, who had read and travelled much, this; she rang for lights, and silently and could talk well; but although he had poured out the water. taken the degree of Master of Law, he had Otto sat by Mary at the table, and whilst never had any business. Perhaps it was ow- she was busy with the tea looked at her ing to this that he dwelt so much on himself, face, on which there was the expression of and that the seeds of his sickly life were goodness and gentleness which had so planted. This sickliness had become his attracted him. For Mary certainly could sole thought; it had made him cross and not be described as pretty; her face was fretful, and an anxiety instead of a support what one might call an every-day face. to his daughter. Her figure was slight, and below the mid"Don't open the door so wide and dle height, her features irregular, and even make such a wind, Mary," said a cross the delicate whiteness of her complexion voice, as Otto and Mary were coming into was but the natural compensation of her the room. light, almost red, hair. She was seven"It is me, uncle," said Otto, going up to and-twenty, and therefore two years older the invalid, who was sitting in a great chair than Otto; and in the family circle, when

they were informed of Otto's engagement, woman to make a husband happy, and they had often asked each other with won- when he was alone with her one evening der what he could have found uncommon he had asked her whether she would be his wife as soon as his income should admit of his offering her a home.

in the quiet, simple Mary.

She looked at him openly and simply, whilst she said:

"I had never ventured to hope that you would become attached to me, Otto: I did domestic happiness was Are you quite sure that and that you will never repent of your choice? Have you reflected well, that I am ugly, and older than you, and that I shall be comparatively an old woman when you are in the prime of

Mina, especially, was inexhaustible in her remarks, and seemed to have no greater pleasure than in disparaging Mary's qualities, always, of course, when Otto was not present. She, and she alone, knew that she would fain have had Mary's place in not think that Otto's affections, and had spread her nets in store for me. in vain for the unsuspecting Otto, for you love me, which their apparent relation of brother and sister had given so much opportunity. Had he chosen a younger and prettier girl, Mina would have more readily acquiesced; but Mary Van Stein was older than Otto, life?” and neither pretty nor clever. Otto's "For me you will always be pretty, preference was, therefore, a still greater dearest Mary," Otto had replied. "I love grievance, and gave Mina a feeling of per- you for your good, noble heart, and in my sonal injury, which, however, strange to eyes you are more beautiful than any say, she laid to the account more of Mary woman I know.” than of Otto.

Thus she had then given him her promise.

"I cannot spare Mary," he said.

But, in fact, Otto himself would have had some difficulty in saying what had That same evening Otto spoke to her attracted him so much in Mary. Was it father, who would not, however, hear of her goodness and gentleness? was it the any formal betrothal. refinement of her clear understanding? or was it all these, combined with the simpli- "Wait till I am better. There must be city and calmness of her whole nature? no talk of marriage yet. I know how it He did not know himself how it came always is with an engagement. Half the about. At first he had looked up to her with town will come and disturb my rest with a feeling of respect and admiration, for their congratulations and folly, and Mary he had so often observed her gentleness must go out with you the whole day to pay and patience in her intercourse with her visits. I have nothing to say against you, father, and gradually a warmer feeling was Otto, and you can come here as often as you awakened in his breast-it was not love, at like, but I will not hear of an engagement. least not a passion full of the glow of Mary must herself be aware that my conyouth it was a sensation of pleasure in dition is not such as to allow of this being her presence a kind of tranquillity and discussed. But she is always thinking peace of mind, which he found in the only of herself, and her sick father is only steady interchange of thought with that an incumbrance; that I have long known." pure, calm woman's heart, and which ex- They were obliged to be content with

over him.

ercised a refreshing, hallowing influence his answer. This had happened a few months ago; so from that day Otto came every evening to spend a few hours with Mary, and to bear with her the fancies

On a certain day the thought came to him that Mary would be par excellence the

and whims of his uncle. He sometimes well as Mary makes it, for this weak stuff brought a book with him to read aloud-I can't drink."

Sometimes, when Mary's cheeks were paler than usual, and Otto saw that she wanted fresh air, he would walk with her in the garden, and even take her for an hour to his father's house; and when with her he poured out to her all the thoughts which the past day had suggested. told her of his business, of the causes he you will." would have to plead, and of the questions

The gentle persuasion of her voice and brought for his opinion. He spoke of the look I cannot give in writing. Otto's books he had read, and built castles in the anger melted away like snow before the air with her for the future. What these sun. He took the hand, which rested on evenings spent in Otto's society were to his arm, pressed a kiss on it, and opened Mary it would be hard to describe. Otto's a book which lay before him.

love was her star in the night. The A good hour afterwards Mary led him hope of the future by his side supported through the long passage to the front her in the difficult path of life which she door.

"We have had little of each other this In the future she saw the full compensa- evening, dear Mary," said Otto, as he tion for her joyless youth. "I could took leave of her. I wanted to tell you hardly have ventured to expect you the that I am summoned to Beckley by Mr. first evening after Emmy's arrival, Otto," Arnold." said Mary, as they were sitting together