painters, I have never met one of them here.

"Accordingly as I said, I was lounging on this particular morning in
the well-known paths, but not in a particularly good mood for making
studies, for Van Kuylen's picture, and what could have happened to
enable him to paint it, was constantly running in my head. When I had
dreamingly sauntered on to the vicinity of the famous waterfall, which
the grateful inhabitants prepared at so much expense as a surprise for
King Ludwig, I saw a lady on the bench upon the little hill overlooking
it, sitting motionless, and having nothing about her to excite my
interest, till all at once it struck me that she had a black veil down.
I thought, however, 'she has some reason for not wishing to be
recognized except by the one for whom she is waiting, and I will pass
quickly by,' when a strange impulse led me to turn round and give her
another look. The veiled figure made a little start, as though it
recognized me, but the next moment sat as motionless as before. But
there was a something in the turn of the head which seemed to me so
familiar, that I involuntarily turned back a step or two, and--'Good
Heavens! It is you, Miss Kate,' I cried, 'and what brings you here?'
and I held out my hand in cordial greeting. But she did not take it,
and seemed on the point of running off. 'Stop,' said I, 'I have not
bargained for this,' and in a friendly way I detained her. 'One is not
to fly from an old friend in this manner, but to tell him where one has
been for so many months past.' Meanwhile some uncomfortable terror was
creeping over me, partly by reason of her strange silence and her
looking about her as if for a way of escape, and partly because I had
seen her hide a bottle under her shawl. It was, therefore, so plainly
my duty not to leave her, that even my wife must have allowed it.

"'I shall not go away, Miss Kate,' I began, 'till you restore me a
little of that confidence you showed at our first interview. You know I
have only friendly intentions. You have something on your mind; it is
vain to deny it; and I believe there is no one who can be so unselfish
a confidant and adviser as I. Come, my dear young lady, let us seat
ourselves on this bench. And now tell me why you seemed so shocked at
seeing me again, and what sort of a cordial you are carrying there, and
hiding from me. Fie, fie, Miss Kate, are you going to take to drinking
secretly in your early youth?'

"She made no reply, but all