y hate.

"When will he come?" asked Sabine.

"In a few hours, by the next train," replied her brother.

Sabine sprang up and seized her bunch of keys. "And the maids are not
yet ready; I must look after things myself. Let him spend the evening
with us, Traugott; we women must see something of him."

Her brother laughed. "Take care that you do not spoil him."

"No fear of that," said the cousin; "when he once gets back into the
office, there he will remain, and we shall never see him except at
dinner."

Meanwhile Sabine was searching among the treasures, loading the servants
with packets of every kind, and impatiently watching till the clerks
left their apartments for the counting-house. At last she herself crept
into Anton's room. She gave one more searching glance at the
sofa-cushion she had worked, and arranged in an alabaster vase all the
flowers that the gardener had succeeded in forcing. While so engaged,
her eye fell upon the drawing that Anton had done on his first arrival,
and on the rich carpet which Fink had had laid down. Where was Fink now?
She felt on this day as if she had been parted from him many, many
years, and the recollection of him resembled the sad, perplexed feeling
that succeeds an unhappy dream. But she could openly tell the
noble-hearted man to whom this room now belonged how much she had
learned to value him, and she rejoiced that the hour was at hand when
she could thank him for all that he had done for her brother.

"But Sabine!" cried the cousin, in amazement, for she too had found her
way into the room.

"What is the matter?" said Sabine, looking up.

"Why, these are the embroidered curtains which you have had put up. They
do not belong to this part of the house."

"Let them be," returned Sabine, with a smile.

"And the coverlet, and these towels--why, they are your best set. Good
heavens! The coverlet with lace, and the rose-colored lining!"

"Never mind, cousin," said Sabine, blushing. "He whom we expect deserves
the best that our old chests contain."

But the cousin went on shaking her head. "If I had not seen this, I
should never have believed it. To give these for daily use! I can not
make you out, Sabine. My only comfort is that he will never remark it.
That I should live to see this day!" And, clasping her hands, she left
the room in much excitement.

Sabine hurried after her. "She will go and tease Traugott about it,"
said she; "I must persuade her that things coul