her hands clasped upon her breast, gazed at Richard.
Bertha entered the room at that moment, and, by her presence, brought
about a calmer and serener atmosphere than we had just been moving in.

Bertha, four years before, had been full of unrest; but now, her calm,
equable disposition manifested itself in all its beauty.

"That war," she said, "was an unnatural one, but this contest is waged
in a holy and just cause, and its consequences must therefore be calmly
accepted. And things, too, have changed with my husband; for now
fortune smiles upon him."

She told us that an association had been formed under the auspices of
the Princess, for the purpose of aiding the families of those who were
obliged to go to the war, and to prepare aid for the sick and wounded.

"I shall be one of you," exclaimed Annette. "I, too, wish to do my
share in the good work. And, Professor, I shall remember your words,
'It is braver to persevere in small services and sacrifices.'"

Richard soon left for the university town, where he had yet to make
some preparations before starting with the army. He grasped Annette's
hand, and it seemed to me as if he held it longer than usual; but he
only said, "We shall meet again."

His long face, with its large, full brown beard, bright blue eyes, and
arched forehead, seemed more beautiful than ever, and his splendid,
powerful form seemed almost heroic.

In the evening I was crossing our principal street, and met Annette
carrying several packages under her arm.

War kills one weakness which in men is insufferable, and in women
difficult to bear; namely, false pride.

In such times, who can stop to think how he may appear to others? You
are nothing more than a wonderfully small fraction of a great and
complete whole. And it is this idea which makes you great, and lifts
you above all petty thoughts.

How absurd we had grown to be. It had come to be regarded as improper
for a well-dressed man or woman to carry a package while in the street;
the dress of the ladies was so fashioned that they were obliged to use
their hands to prevent it from dragging, and thus it was impossible for
them to carry even the smallest package; but now all that was changed.

Annette told me that she and some other ladies were about to take a
course of instruction from a surgeon, in the art of dressing wounds.
She said this simply and unostentatiously.

CHAPTER VIII.

While Martella