came riding up the road. The Baron congratulated Richard on
having caught the first of the pirates, and Annette was in quite a
merry mood.

The Baron also brought us a piece of news that he had just received
from his brother, the forester-in-chief, to the effect that my grandson
Julius had been appointed assistant forester, and that the next
official gazette would announce the appointment.

We sent for Joseph. We were all very happy at the news, and Martella
exclaimed, "That is the position Ernst wished for. But I congratulate
Miss Martha with all my heart she will make a handsome young wife for
the town forester."

We had always avoided alluding to this connection, but now that it had
been openly mentioned, we made no concealment of our joy.

CHAPTER III.

Richard and the Baron rode over to the Wild Lake which they had
intended to stock. Annette accompanied them.

It was already night, but Richard had not returned; I was seated alone
at the table, and waiting for him. It had always been his habit to tell
us when he intended to remain out longer than the usual time.

Martella entered. Her cheeks were flushed, and she said, "Father, send
me away--wherever it be. I cannot remain here. It shall not be my fault
if any one is bad."

Trembling, and covering her face with her hands, she declared that
Richard had told her that Ernst was unworthy of her, even if he were
yet living, and that he would never return again. And after that he
said--it was some time before she would tell what it was, and at last
she exclaimed: "that he loves me with all his heart, and wanted to make
me his wife! He! His brother! I would rather he should tie a stone
about my neck, and throw me into the lake where his young fishes are! I
could hardly believe at first, that he had said it, and answered him:
'That is a poor joke: just think of how your mother would feel if she
knew that you would joke in this way!' and then he swore that mother
had said Ernst was untrue to me, and had for that very reason gone out
into the wide world. Can mother have said that? My eyes would start
from their sockets, before Ernst would forsake me. But let me never see
Richard again. Never! Let me go away. You can send me away, but Richard
cannot cease to be your son. Nor can I cease to be your child, but I
can go away."

It is impossible to find words for all that bubbled forth from
Martella's soul. I pacified her, and she