mechanical, and that
he scarcely cared whether he received an answer or not.

Now as Adelheid entered the room, fully equipped for her journey, he
turned to her and offered his arm to escort her to the carriage. After
he had helped her in it, Wallmoden entered, and as the coachman cracked
his whip, said:

"We'll be back to-morrow without fail--good-bye."

Falkenried bowed and stepped back. It mattered little to him whether
they came back to-morrow or not, all friendships were over for him. But
as he entered the house again, he said:

"Poor Ada, she deserved a better fate."

Everything was going on in the usual quiet fashion at Fuerstenstein.
Willibald had been there for a week. He was two days later than he had
expected to be; but he had met with a slight accident, and his hand was
hurt, so he told his uncle; and this was perfectly satisfactory, and not
at all alarming, as the hand was nearly healed now. The head forester
found his son-in-law changed since his last visit, and changed for the
better, too. He had become much more earnest and decided than formerly,
and seemed so well satisfied with his daughter, von Schoenau thought.

"I believe Will will turn out to be a man, yet. How much he improves
without his mother to stand by to command and dictate."

As for the rest, Herr von Schoenau had no time to trouble himself with
the lovers. The duke, during his stay at Fuerstenstein, had made many
changes and innovations upon the established order of things in the
forestry, and it required both zeal and watchfulness on the part of the
head forester to set things straight again, and bring his subordinates
back to the old regime. He saw Antonie and Willibald daily, and noticed
that they were much together and seemed to understand one another
perfectly, so he did not concern himself much about them.

In the meantime there had been much anxiety and alarm in the house of
Dr. Volkmar.

The doctor's sickness, which had not at first been regarded as serious,
had suddenly taken an alarming turn, and owing to his age the worst was
feared. His granddaughter was telegraphed for in hot haste, and she,
after obtaining permission from her manager, who gave her part in
"Arivana" to an understudy, hurried home at once.

It was at this time that Antonie showed her sincere, unobtrusive
attachment to her childhood's friend. Day after day she went to the
Volkmar cottage, to comfort and cheer Marietta, who hung in an agony of
anguish