ave succeeded in extirpating 'Major Frank' altogether,
but that my nurse grew jealous of her influence; and, worse still,
Rolf, now promoted to the rank of lieutenant, fell in love with
her. She could not bear the grand soudard, the 'ogre,' as she called
him; for his manners frightened her, and he made his offer in such
a maladroit fashion that she walked off to my father, and said she
would leave the house if ever that man were allowed to put his foot
into it again. This, as everybody said, was assuming the 'high tone'
on her part. Grandfather and nurse were on Rolf's side, and my father
answered--'It's only a governess, let her go.' I myself said little
for her; I was too anxious to regain my ancient liberty--though I have
since known the loss I sustained in losing her. I was young then;
my father ought to have known better. Even to the present day this
is one of my grudges against Rolf.

"Again I became 'Major Frank.' I accompanied my father on his rides,
and I saw he was proud of my horsemanship. Sometimes we hunted
together, and when he allowed me to drive I was ever ready to show
off my daring and skill. In the meantime my nurse died, and now,
indeed, I felt the truth of her words--that she was the only person
in the world who really loved me. I had to take her place, and fulfil
the duties of mistress in the household. My father was expecting a
visitor from England----"

She stopped abruptly, and fixing her beautiful blue eyes on me with
a strange expression, asked--

"Leopold, have you been in the society of women much?"

"When I lived with my mother I saw many of her friends and visitors;
but since----"

"That's not the question. I ask you if, like most men, you have
sometimes suffered from the intermittent fever called love?"

"I have done my best, cousin, to escape it. Knowing myself to be
too poor to maintain a wife in these expensive times, I have always
observed a strict reserve in my relations with them in order not to
be led away from my principles."

"Then you have never been 'passion's slave,' as Hamlet puts it."

"My time has always been too much occupied for anything of the sort."

"So much the better for you; but I am sorry for myself, because you
will not be able to give me the information I am seeking."

"Tell me what you want to know; possibly I can enlighten you."

"I wish to know if you think it possible for an honourable man, who
is neither a fool nor a coxcomb, but who, on the con