nt haze of early dawn, and a heavy dew was beginning to fall.
Like a flying criminal who avoids the highways, Edwin turned and
plunged into the dense shadow of a side path. The burden that would not
suffer him to breathe freely still rested on his heart, but his senses
were cooled by the fresh air of the forest, and his rapid pace did him
good. At last he came to a spot which he remembered to have visited the
day before. In a field appeared the solitary farm house, with its steep
gable roof and an open barn by the road side tempted him to rest a
moment. The floor was covered with sheaves, and the air full of the
strong odor of the fresh wheat. He threw himself down in the first
corner, and although he intended to remain awake in order to be far on
his way when the sun rose, the many exciting scenes of the previous day
made sleep overpower him irresistibly.

The farmer's servants found him there, when a few hours later they came
to commence their work. But as they remembered having seen him the day
before, and as he had liberally rewarded the boy who had shown him the
way, they glided softly out to let him sleep a little longer, wondering
among themselves that a gentleman who was a guest at the castle, should
prefer a couch of straw. When the sun had risen higher, the farmer
himself came to the barn, this time determined to wake the stranger.
The countess' maid had come to ask whether the gentleman who had been
there yesterday had not called again. He had suddenly disappeared from
the castle, and she had a message for him.

When the sleeper started up, the girl was standing with her back to the
light, which entered through the barn door, and had a thick veil over
her face. Edwin drew back. At the first glance, still under the
influence of his dream, he fancied that he saw before him the woman
from whom he had resolved to fly. Her voice first undeceived him.

"The countess wishes you a pleasant journey, regrets that the Herr
Doctor did not take leave of her himself, and begs him to read the
letter she sends, as it contains a commission which is of great
importance to her."

"Does she want an answer?"

The faithful girl shook her head, declined almost with an air of
offence the money he tried to press upon her, and instantly left the
barn.

No sooner was Edwin alone, than he read the following lines, which were
hastily scrawled with a pencil.

"_You've gone, you fly from me, I expected nothing different. But
you