at
Helga could speak a little English, and Mrs. Hardy led her to speak of
the management of the little household at the parsonage, and then of
her father, which with Helga was an inexhaustible theme. She told
Mrs. Hardy of John's gift of the piano, which she said she had
accepted because her father liked to hear her sing.

"I feel it was wrong to have accepted it," she said, "but I did so on
the impulse of the moment; my father had been listening to my singing,
and it seemed to draw his mind away from his great sorrow, and I
thought any feeling of my own should be sacrificed to that."

"Why, what a dear child you are!" said Mrs. Hardy, led away by Helga's
earnest blue eyes, and she kissed her affectionately. "You talk a good
deal better English than I expected," she added.

"Perhaps so," replied Helga. "Mr. Hardy left his books here for Axel,
and I have been learning all the winter, in the hope of being of use
to you; I knew you would want some one to speak English, as your son
might not always be at hand. Karl has written with such gratitude of
you, that it is the only way that occurred to me that I might really
be useful to you."

"You are a dear, sensible girl, Miss Lindal," said Mrs. Hardy,
caressing her; "and so it will be. And will you come and stay with me
as long as your father can spare you, at Rosendal, and help me to get
the house in order?"

"I will do anything for you, Mrs. Hardy," replied Helga, earnestly.

John Hardy came in to wish them "Good night," before he left for
Rosendal.

"I shall drive over in the morning to see if you wish to go to
Rosendal, mother," he said.

"Certainly I do, John," replied his mother, "But I have a message for
you;" and she whispered, "I like her already, John; she is perfectly
good and true."

John Hardy was right when he said that his mother's influence on his
own thoughts would crystallize them.

The next few days were occupied in settling down at Rosendal.
Mrs. Hardy was charmed with the place. Its natural beauty was what
such a mind as hers could recognize, and she praised Rosendal to
Helga, to the latter's great satisfaction.

Helga was assiduous in learning English, and daily became more useful
to Mrs. Hardy, The Pastor often came to dinner, and the days passed
pleasantly.

"John," said Mrs. Hardy, one day, when she was alone with her son,
"you have asked me to ascertain what Helga Lindal's feelings are to
you, if I possibly could. I cannot. All I can