m and clear. What has been the
result?

At noon a shot was fired down at the saw-mill; this was the signal that
Joseph was to give in case we had triumphed. He came and brought the
news of the glorious victory at Woerth.

"We have beaten the French on their own ground," he cried; "it _was_
their own ground, but it must be ours again. Our boys were there," he
added, after a pause. "Father! sisters! let us be prepared for
everything."

Our resolve was a timely one.

CHAPTER IV.

Martha, who had hitherto shown such self-possession, was now seized
with the greatest anxiety. She changed color constantly. She tried in
vain to control her feelings, but at last her anxiety as well as mine
became so great that we drove to the city. The crops were being already
gathered from such fields as lay facing the south; nearly all the
reapers were women.

While driving up the hill towards the court-house, I saw Edward Levi,
the iron merchant, turn about suddenly as he caught sight of us and go
towards his house. That was not the way he usually received us; so at
once I feared that there was some bad news awaiting us, and that he did
not wish to be the first one to tell it to us.

We halted before the court-house, but no one came to the windows; no
one came to meet us. We went upstairs into the hall. The councillor's
wife stood by the round table in the centre. She kept her hand on the
table for a moment; then advancing towards Martha, and taking her hand,
she said, "I awaited you here; I did not wish to cause you any emotion
on the stairs, much less in the street. Your brother--dear Martha--your
brother--died--an heroic death."

She said this with a firm voice; but when she had finished, she sobbed
aloud and embraced Martha. The latter sank down beside her. We raised
her; her faintness was of short duration, and her mother whispered,
"Don't be alarmed! the shock will not harm her."

"My brother!" cried Martha, "I shall never see you more; never call you
brother again. Pardon me, mother, I distress you instead of helping
you. Where is father?"

"He is gone to the battle-field with Baron Arven. He has telegraphed
that he is bringing the body with him. Ludwig, Wolfgang, and that
sturdy Ikwarte are of the greatest assistance to him."

"Where is my sister?"

"She is at work in the town-hall. That is the best, the only thing to
do--to care for others while you are bowed down with grief. As s