is shoulder, and
he feasted his eyes on the little figure as he followed after.

There was something more than ordinarily gracious and pleasing in the
young girl's movements, and in her whole appearance, and she carried her
little head with its mass of curly dark hair which no hat could keep
concealed, with a jaunty air. Her features were irregular, but they
wore an expression of saucy defiance, which with her large, dark eyes
and rosy mouth, and the little dimple in the chin, made up for all
imperfections of contour. The gray traveling costume, while simple in
the extreme, was well and tastefully made, and told that its fair wearer
was of another world than that of Waldhofen.

The road, after they had rounded the bend, was, as Willibald said, much
drier, though they still had to keep close to the low, hedge-hidden
wall, and take very careful steps to avoid the wet, muddy hollows. There
was no conversation between the two. Will would never have thought of
speaking, so he trudged on patiently, while his guide hurried forward as
rapidly as the way would permit, and apparently never troubling herself
about the meek burden-bearer in the rear.

In about ten minutes they reached a low garden gate at which the girl
stopped abruptly. She leaned over, and pulling out a little wooden bar,
opened it. Then she turned to her escort, if such he could be called,
and said:

"I thank you, sir. Please give me my satchel now."

The satchel, in spite of its small size, was much too heavy for her
little hands to hold. Willibald was, for the first time in his life,
seized with a knightly impulse, and declared the satchel was much too
heavy for her, and that he would carry it to the house for her. She
accepted his courtesy with a careless nod of approval, and turning
hastily, went through the small, well-kept garden to the back door of
the little old-fashioned house, on which the long afternoon shadows were
lingering. Now for the first time, the new-comer was seen from within,
and an elderly woman started out from the little kitchen, crying:

"Fraeulein! Fraeulein Marietta, you have come to-day. Ah, what joy, what--"

Marietta flew toward her and put her hand over her mouth.

"Hush! hush! Babette. Speak softly, I want to surprise grandpapa. Is he
at home?"

"Yes, the Herr Doctor is at home and is in his study. Will you go right
in, Fraeulein?"

"No, I'll go into the front room and play a soft accompaniment, and sing
him his favori