is indeed by her wish that we have withdrawn ourselves here to Beckley, for the life at the Hague, where we established ourselves at first, pleased her as little as it did myself." indifference to them. I had rather attri- the neighborhood. A child of nature, bute this indifference to ignorance. For such as my daughter, finds resources of me the study of the country and the people which the accomplished, delicately brought in which I have found a second fatherland, up European lady can form no idea. It has been the labor of my life. It was the object of my life to protect these people, and to raise them from their state of oppression to the place which belongs to them by right and justice. What I could do in my own neighborhood and position, Mr. Arnold here ceased speaking while for the improvement of their lot, I have he listened to the step of a horse, which done always, as far as was possible with the stopped under the window. This time it tied hands of a dependent government em- was a cheerful smile which played on his ployee; but in he middle of work my lips. health failed me, and now it is only my "Here comes my daughter home," he pen that can be employed for the Javanese." said, and turning from the window to Otto, There was an expression of melancholy he went on—"I have behaved like an old in his voice which struck Otto; but before babbler, Mr. Welters. If, for once, I meet he could say anything, Mr. Arnold pro- with some one who can understand me, ćeeded—“The fear that death may come forgive me if I quite forget that he is not upon me, before I have said what I wish an old acquaintance who can take an into say, makes me labor uninterruptedly; terest in me and in my endeavors." the work has made a hermit of me, Mr. Otto took up his hat, which lay near Welters; but not only the task which I him on the ground, and was assuring Mr. have laid upon myself and wish to com- Arnold, as he rose, how much interest the plete, but also the feeling that, through conversation had afforded him, and with my long absence and protracted residence what pleasure he made his acquaintance, in the wilderness, I am no longer in my but, before he had said all this, Mr. place in European society. I have out- Arnold interposed— grown Dutch habits, or Dutch habits have outgrown me—we do not understand each other any more." "See, Mr. Welters," he said, "I am so little acquainted with the habits of my native country, that I don't know whether Now the sarcastic had the upper hand in it is contrary to etiquette if I ask you to the countenance of Mr. Arnold; but this our luncheon, which will be ready imexpression again made way for the mourn-mediately. In India this would be a matful, as he said, "The great mistake is that ter of course, and if you will join for once although my daughter and I are obliged in this our Indian habit, it would give me to be here with our bodies, our hearts still great pleasure." live in the warm East. And that makes us bad citizens for our mother country," he added, with a smile. He said this in a cordial, good-natured manner, which made it impossible to refuse; but, before Otto could answer, the "Yes, it is a solitary life for a young lady, door was burst open and a great black dog Mr. Arnold." of the Newfoundland breed rushed in. He "Not more solitary than she has been was a beautiful animal, with long black accustomed to all her life. We have lived shining hair, to which his white breast and mostly in the interior of Java, where for the white tip of his grand feathering tail miles you could not find a European in alone made exceptions. In two bounds he reached Mr. Arnold and licked his shall have changed my dress. You must, hand. He then went to Otto, examining therefore, still have patience.' And turnhim and smelling him all round. "Here, ing round, she, and Cæsar after her, were Cæsar, it is a friend," cried Mr. Arnold to out of the room in a trice. the dog. The animal instantly obeyed, but not without carefully keeping his eye upon Otto from his place at the feet of the master, where he lay down. The whole of this scene had occupied less time than it has taken to tell. Otto stood motionless in the same attitude as when she entered, and only came to his But Otto did not notice the dog. His senses when she left the room. Never whole attention was fixed on the young yet had he been so much struck with the lady who stood in the doorway. beauty of a woman as with that of Celine Arnold. In a dark riding-habit which hung down behind in a long train, and before was Undoubtedly of an Eastern type, Celine partly drawn over her arm; a round black had the pale olive complexion which hat on her head, of which the white ostrich characterizes those of Creole descent; her feather rested on her black hair; the features were fine and regular; and when beautiful form of her slight figure perfectly she laughed her parted lips displayed two indicated by her close-fitting habit; a little rows of pearl-white teeth; but people overwhip in the hand which was free, Celine looked these attractions when they saw Arnold stood still an instant on the thresh- her great dark eyes with their soft glow, old, when she saw her father was not alone. and the richness of her thick black hair. "Celine, child, here is Advocate Welters, whom you know I was to consult about the inheritance." Otto sat down again opposite Mr. Arnold; but he listened now with much less attention than he had done to their first conversation, and he was glad when, a quarter of an hour later, a Javanese servant, in his strange costume, interrupted them with a few Malay words, addressed to Mr. Arnold, which were unintelligible to Otto. "Oh, yes," said the young lady, who did not appear more than seventeen or eighteen, and now coming nearer; she responded to Otto's bow, not with a courtesy as one would have expected, but with a graceful movement of her whip, such as "Let me show you the way," Mr. one sees done by the riders in the circus. Arnold said to Otto; and, going downFurther than this, she took no notice of stairs, they came into a small cozy dininghim, and there was no trace of embarrass-room, where the table was laid for lunchment in the way in which she greeted her eon. Celine stood by the table, and at her father with a kiss. "A pleasant ride, dear child?" said her feet was Cæsar, with whom she appeared father. to have been playing when Otto and her father entered, at least she raised herself from a stooping position. "Not so much a ride as a practice, dear father. I have been teaching Schimmel what was wanting in his education, to leap over ditches; and Cæsar for his own pleasure leapt over them too. Didn't you, Cæsar?" She laughed loud at the recollection of the pleasure she had enjoyed; but suddenly recovering herself, she said,— "But I am sure I have kept you and Mr. Welters waiting. In ten minutes I As she stood there in a purple jacket trimmed with gold, a long black silk dress without a trace of crinoline, which in those days had just attained in Dilburg its widest circumference; her beautiful hair in picturesque confusion, half hanging down behind and half fastened up by a little gold dagger with a diamond handle; sparkling jewels in her ears, and on her small "Enough is good; but more is better," elegantly formed hands-as she stood there answered her father, with a laugh. she seemed to Otto the most beautiful And now the dessert was removed, and "Won't it annoy Miss Arnold ?" asked cigar. woman he had ever seen, and her singular the host handed his cigar-case to Otto. dress seemed to complete the harmony of the whole effect. They sat down to the Otto, courteously, before he took out a table. Behind Celine's chair, which was placed between the two gentlemen, stood "Not more than my cigar will annoy an old Java woman. The Javanese who you," answered Celine, showing her white had announced luncheon had placed teeth with a laugh; and before Otto well himself behind the chair of Mr. Arnold, understood what she meant, she had already whilst the Dutch servant waited upon a cigar between her lips. It was with a Otto. feeling of disappointment that Otto saw her Strange dishes were placed before him. smoke. He could not explain to himself Rice and chicken were the only things that feeling; but so it was. But neither known to him, and every dish was highly Celine nor her father seemed to think it seasoned and cooked with hot pickles, anything uncommon; they smoked and which threatened to burn Otto's Dutch chatted and laughed, and seemed as much mouth. at their ease with Otto as if they had been "This is just an Indian luncheon, Mr. acquaintances of years instead of hours. Welters." said Mr. Arnold, when the ser- They interrogated him about his family. vants, after setting the fruit on the table, and relatives, and about Dilburg and its had left the room. "Celine and I cannot inhabitants, and she looked as merry and be content at this time of day with a cup contented as possible, every moment breakof coffee only, as is the custom in Hol-ing out into a clear laugh, in which one land." could hardly have helped joining, although the piano which was in the dining-room. "I am sure Mr. Welters would like to hear you." As yet Otto had spoken very little to there was little to occasion it. Celine. To the ordinary question of "Will you play or sing something, courtesey, "how she liked Holland," her Celine, as you are accustomed to do?" answer was almost to the same effect said Mr. Arnold, at last, whilst he opened as her father's, "that here it was good, but in India it was better. There the sun is warmer, the flowers are prettier, the people are more cordial-at least so it seems to me." She said this with a moist glance in her dark eyes, caused, apparently, by the recollection of her native country. An instant of silence followed; then she shook her head as if to drive away sorrowful thoughts, and turning to Otto she said, in a cheerful tone: "No, dear father," said Celine, in a decisive tone, "not to-day." "And why not, child?" "Because I don't feel inclined." This reason seemed to Mr. Arnold conclusive—at least he shut the piano without saying another word. Otto, however, could not withstand the "And so you are going to provide us temptation of saying, in a slightly satirical with an inheritance, Mr. Welters ?" tone, "And do you never do anything except what you are inclined to do, Miss Arnold? That must be a pleasant kind of life." "At least I am going to do my best, Miss Arnold." "Dear father, what shall you do with all that money? Haven't we enough?" She cast a dark glance at him out of her great eyes, and there was a sort of defiance Mary almost everything. I say "almost," in her voice when she answered, evidently because as to the manner in which Celine out of humor : had refused her father's request, and of the "No; and what I have once said that smoking, he told nobody. I won't do, I don't do." Mr. Arnold now got up hastily from the table, and conducted his guest to the orangery, where he showed him a foreign plant of which they had spoken. "Why not? CHAPTER V. OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ACQUAINTANCES. A FEW days after Emmy's arrival at her father's house, she began to pay visits to the few persons whom she had known as a child. "This nursery is a hobby of Celine's," he said, pointing to a long row of flowerpots, with all kinds of cuttings and plants. "With these she occupies most of her mornings. The flowers on the terrace are almost all the result of her care and industry this last winter." A few minutes afterwards Otto took his sin, Emmy, as far as she could remember, leave. "I hope soon to see you again, Mr. Welters," said Mr. Arnold, in a cordial tone, whilst Otto thanked him for his friendly reception. Her first visit was to Mary Van Stein, who had only lived a few years at Dilburg with her father; and, although a first cou had never seen her before. Uncle Van Stein she scarcely knew except by name. Since the time when he had once been to stay with her aunt for a few weeks, she had seldom or never given him a thought. But now the closer relation in which Otto stood to Mary considerably heightened her interest in both father and daughter. Celine had now joined them again, and she put out her hand to Otto to take leave, shaking his in an off-hand "comrade fashion, saying, "And when you come Fortunately, Uncle Van Stein was someagain, Mr. Welters, you shall make ac- what less unpleasant that day than usual; quaintance with my Schimmel, who is my indeed, there was a trace of interest in the dearest friend in Holland." manner in which he sat and looked at Otto Welters was that day an interesting Emmy, who was a speaking likeness of person in Dilburg, for naturally everybody her mother. knew before noon that he had passed some The conversation at first turned chiefly hours at Beckley; and everybody hoped on the aunt with whom Emmy had lived that he would satisfy their pent-up curiosity. | during the last six years, and who was also Some people who were not in the habit of a sister of Mr. Van Stein, so that Mary addressing him availed themselves of the subject of "fine weather" to speak to Otto in the street, and at the club he was looked for with an anxiety which made his absence, to say the least, unpardonable. stood in the same relation to her as Emmy did. It was a real pleasure to Emmy to be able to revive recollections of the good old aunt, with those who had known and loved her. Uncle Van Stein was also inexhaustible in his questions about her malady. But Otto told people very little about the inhabitants of Beckley. A good old "Just, just the same," he said, nodding gentleman and a pretty daughter, both his head approvingly, as Emmy described cordial persons who required his services as each symptom; "just like me in the pain advocate. That was all people got out of in my chest, and the weariness in my limbs. him. In his family circle he told some- Mary will not believe it, Emmy, but it will thing more; and in the evening he told end with me just in the same way as with my poor sister," said the persistently mor- these two ideas into one, much as she tried bid invalid. to do so. But soon her thoughts took another "The doctor, however, found you much better this morning, dear papa," Mary direction, and she involuntarily delayed remarked. her steps, as she turned down the road to the iron foundry which was at the end of the town. "Better-oh yes ! I am always better, as you tell people; it is easy to pronounce a person better although he does not feel so The foundry, which gave employment himself," and the ill-tempered, injured to a hundred Dilburgers, was the property tone in which he spoke increased the un- of Mr. Eversberg, whose son, Bruno, graciousness of his words. Emmy had met on her first walk towards Mary was silent, and one could only home. have seen by the slight increase of her There was a history attached to the iron color as she bent over her work that it founder, Eversberg, and, for a history in annoyed her to be so spoken to in Emmy's real life, a very improbable one it was. presence. At a time not so very far distant, this During the whole of this long visit, same Eversberg had entered the foundry, Emmy kept looking at Mary with wonder. of which he was now both owner and Although fully prepared to find no beauty manager, as an apprentice. Five and in her, she had unconsciously expected thirty years had passed since he, the son something more in the girl who had won of a needy widow belonging to the small Otto's heart. Yet she was struck by the bourgeoisie, must have regarded his adgentleness which expressed itself in Mary's mission even to a very subordinate post countenance, and which was not belied by there as a piece of good fortune, and in her behavior to her father; for in the his boldest dreams he could never have course of conversation, Mr. Van Stein found had before his eyes the reality of to-day. incessant opportunities of venting his illhumor on her. This gentleness opened Emmy's heart to the future sister-in-law whom she welcomed in Mary. By industry and attention he had known how to win in a few years the favor and confidence of his master to such a degree, that almost the whole management of the Emmy, when she took leave, said, in a foundry had rested with him; and when playful tone, as she kissed her— They say that sisters-in-law are each other's natural enemies, Mary! Will that be the case with us?" She expected an answer in the same tone, but a joke was quite foreign to Mary's grave nature. "May Heaven grant that we shall be sisters, not merely in name, dear Emmy! Love me a little for Otto's sake; that you are his sister is a sufficient reason for my loving you." the only son of the house so misconducted himself that he was obliged to take himself off to America, on his father refusing him all further aid, old Müller made no secret of his intention to make young Eversberg his successor and heir. But a tragedy was bound up with the fulfilment of this determination. A clerk, who, though generally suspected to be a bad fellow, was taken by old Müller into his service out of compassion, robbed the counting-house, and the old man was As she walked on, Emmy kept thinking found close to his strong box, where he about "Otto's Mary," as she called her. had probably caught his clerk in the act, Otto so lively, and Mary so quiet and murdered, and with his brains dashed out. grave; she could not manage to bring Young Eversberg was just then on a |