were brought in and the cold nights began to come on, he left her, and
she has been sad and heartbroken ever since.'

"'Perhaps he'll come back to her by and by,' said Arthur.

"'Oh no: he'll no more come back to her than you'll come back to me.'

"'Then he's sure to come,' replied Arthur; and just then my father came
to look for me and bid me join the other guests.

"I didn't see Arthur again that night, and the next day he was gone. I
never missed anybody so much. Nobody and nothing seemed to fill his
place. I went into the room he had occupied, and found there a glove
that he had left behind. I took it to my room and said, 'I'll keep it
for him till he comes back.' I tried to speak lightly, and was surprised
and angry at myself that the trivial thought seemed to mean so much.

"The winter wore on, and the little forsaken bird remained in the
conservatory, and sometimes would fly into the room, and I felt a lonely
sort of sympathy with it. I used to take the bird in my hand sometimes
and call it a poor thing, and talk to it, and tell it that it was no
worse off than many a poor girl or many a young wife, for men were like
her mate, and promised all sorts of things they didn't mean, and
couldn't be faithful if they tried. After a while we went to Washington,
and I saw a great many people and received a great deal of attention.
The Prussian ambassador had a brother visiting him--a Baron
Dumbkopf--very handsome, very rich, very distingue, and soon very
attentive to me. He was constantly at our house, and he was agreeable
enough and easy to talk to, and very obedient, and very seldom a bore. I
rather liked him, and papa liked him exceedingly. I wasn't at all
surprised when one day he suddenly became sentimental and ended by
offering me his hand.

"'Have you spoken with my father on this subject?' I asked.

"He had not: would I give him permission to do so? I told him that I
should not even consider his proposition for a moment till he had talked
with my father; that I never intended to marry without my father's
consent; and as for falling in love, I was sure I should never do that.

"So he went away to talk with my father, and I felt safe. I hadn't an
idea papa would do as he did, you see; but the truth is, papas are not
to be depended upon--at least, not always.

"The next day my father called me into the library and asked me if I
loved Baron Dumbkopf.

"'No,' I said, 'I don't love him.'

"'Do you like him?