e was his comrade
at college.

I am enchanted with the prospect of the little journey we are to make. I
shall see my good sister's palace and domains. I cannot become
accustomed to say her ladyship the starostine, when I speak of Barbara,
but I know I ought to follow the example of my parents, who call her
nothing else.

Barbara has become very grave since her marriage; she wears dresses with
long trains; she looks to me several years older in her grand robes, and
still seems quite sad, but that is easily understood, as she is about to
quit her father's and mother's home; and then, the idea of being
entirely alone with a person she scarcely knows must distress her.

She is so timid with the starost that no one would think he was her
husband; but he is not in the least timid: he calls her my wife,
approaches her often, and talks much more to her than he ever did to our
parents.

Saturday, _March 9th_.

We returned yesterday from Sulgostow: I amused myself exceedingly while
there, but it is a real sorrow not to be able to bring her ladyship the
starostine back with us. How time flies! A week has already elapsed
since she left the castle!

Last Friday, when all our guests had departed, Barbara rose early, and
went to the parish church at Lissow; she made an offering of a golden
heart to the chapel which contains the image of her patron saint, and
then bade the good priest adieu. When she returned to the castle, she
took leave of all the courtiers and attendants; then went down to the
farm, and distributed all the little articles which had belonged to her
domestic establishment as a young lady. She gave away her cows, geese,
and chickens to a poor peasant of Maleszow, who had just been burned out
of house and home; she kept only two crested hens and her swans, which
she will take with her to Sulgostow. She gave me her birds and flowers.

After this distribution of her little property, she expressed a desire
to go once more all over the castle; she visited all the rooms on every
story, and remained long in the chapel and in our own apartment. We had
scarcely finished our breakfast, when the cracking of whips was heard,
and a chamberlain entered to announce that the carriages were ready. The
starost went to Barbara and told her it was time to go. Her heart
swelled at these words, and tears streamed from her eyes; she threw
herself at our parents' feet to thank them for all their kindness, for
the care they had best