, good girl like you! There's a fair
specimen of your farmers' brutality. Don't be offended: I certainly
didn't mean you by it: but these people are often worse than wild
beasts. But don't be grieved about it."

Of all this Tony only heard the sympathy of the gamekeeper, and said,
"I'm dreadfully spoiled and mangled, a'n't I?"

"I shouldn't mind it," said the gamekeeper: "if you had but one cheek
you would please me better than all the girls between Nordstetten and
Paris."

"It isn't right to tease one so," said Tony, smiling sadly.

"I am not teasing you," said the gamekeeper; and, taking her hand, he
continued, "Oh, if you would say the word, how glad I should be to
marry you!"

"That is talking sinfully," said Tony.

"I don't see any sin in our getting married," returned the gamekeeper.

"If you want to be good friends with me, don't say another word about
it," said Tony, taking her way across the field.

The gamekeeper was content, for the present, to be "good friends," and
made the most of it; for he came to Nordstetten almost regularly twice
or three times a week. He managed to start some business-negotiations
with the Poodlehead, Tony's father, about cordwood; and this always
gave him an opportunity of talking with Tony. He said nothing more
about marrying, but anybody but a fool could see that he alluded to it
all the time. He had much trouble with Babbett, whose influence upon
Tony was of the greatest consequence. At first he tried good humor and
fun, but Babbett never would understand his jokes: she did nothing but
talk about Sepper as long as the gamekeeper was within hearing.

A lucky occurrence gave the latter a great advantage. Tony had a rich
cousin in Muehringen, who was to be married shortly: the dance was to
last three days; and Tony was invited. The gamekeeper's sister soon
made friends with her, and the two girls rambled over the fields
together and kept near each other at the dance. Tony now appeared for
the first time with an uncovered face; and it might almost be said that
the bite had improved her looks. Some wild and superstitious people
purposely mangle what is perfectly beautiful, so that the "evil look"
may have no power over it, and by way of appeasing the devil, who can
suffer nothing perfect to exist. Whether the "beauty-spots" cultivated
by the damsels of our day were originally derived from this
superstition I cannot tell. At all events, the bite on Tony's cheek was
just enoug