tz the way he does, could you?"

Sepper laughed; but in his heart he could not deny that the shrewd
little rogue was right, and when he sat at the table with his
sweetheart he clinked his glass against the gamekeeper's and beckoned
to Tony to do the same. The gamekeeper drank, bowed politely to Tony,
and nodded slightly to Sepper. The latter had made up his mind,
however, not to be sulky again, and prided himself a little on the good
tact of his behavior to the gamekeeper, and then sat, happy as a king,
with his arm round Tony's waist. He was called away to the master-joke
of the wedding.

According to ancient custom, all the young men had conspired to steal
the bride. They formed a ring around her, and Caspar had to bargain for
her release amid a plentiful volley of small jokes and lively sallies.
Six bottles of wine were at last accepted as a ransom, and the reunited
pair marched off arm in arm. The musicians came down from their
platform to the yard under their windows, and played the customary
march; and many a hurrah followed from the crowd.

Tony stood at the window, in a dreamy mood, long after Babbett was gone
and the others had returned to the dance.

It was very late at night, or, rather, early in the morning, when
Sepper saw Tony home; yet it was long before they parted. Tony pressed
her cheek against his with wild emotion, and held him with all the
force of her arms. He too was greatly excited; yet he could not refrain
from talking about the gamekeeper. "Let the gamekeeper alone," said
Tony: "there's nothing in the world but you."

Sepper lifted her high up in the air; then he embraced her again, and,
pressing his lip to her cheek, he whispered, "Do you see? I should just
like to bite you."

"Bite," said Tony.

Well done! Sepper had bitten in good earnest. The blood flowed freely
and ran down her cheeks into her neck and breast. Her hand rushed to
her cheek, and there she felt the open scars of the teeth. She thrust
Sepper away with such force that he fell on his back, and shrieked and
cried aloud, so that the whole house was alarmed. Sepper got up and
tried to comfort her; but with loud wailing she pushed him away again.
Hearing a noise in the house, he slipped away quietly. He thought the
matter was not so bad, after all, and that if he was out of the way she
would hit upon some excuse to quiet them.

Her father and mother came up with lights, and were frightened almost
to death at the sight of t