, and had cut a silhouette of its
occupant out of a piece of blotting-paper. These were but weak clews.
So she went on farther and farther, and her cheeks grew more and more
flushed from the rapid exercise, and her companion, who was rather
inclined to corpulence, found it harder than ever to keep up with her.

At last she ventured to ask a laborer whom they met, carrying a
pick-axe and shovel, where Herr Rossel's villa was. The man pointed to
a park-fence made of rough, pine stakes, and was very much amazed when
the young lady rewarded this trivial service with a bright half-gulden.

"Louisa," the Fraeulein said, standing still for a moment to recover her
breath and push back her hair, "you will wait for me outside here. I
have to make some inquiries about something in the garden, and will be
back directly. The spot where I meant to sketch lies off to the right,
in the middle of the wood, and I see now that the afternoon light will
not be as favorable as I thought. It doesn't matter. I shall still be
able to draw a few lines. In the mean while hold my sketch-book--or no,
I will take it with me--you would be sure to get the leaves out of
order. Sit down there on that stump. I sha'n't be gone more than five
minutes."

The girl obeyed without a word. She had never before heard the name of
the gentleman about whom Irene inquired. She tried to make out some
connection in the whole mysterious affair. But as she did not succeed,
she soon gave up thinking about it, and rejoiced at this comfortable
rest in the cool quiet of the woods after her quick walk.

In the mean time her young mistress had hurried over the rest of the
way. The park in the rear of Rossel's little house appeared to be quite
empty and deserted, nor was any one to be seen at the windows. For a
moment she stood hesitating at the little wicket-gate before she could
muster up courage to lift the latch. Then she opened the gate quickly
and entered the little shady inclosure, through which wound a number of
well-swept gravel paths.

But now, as she stepped out from among the pines, and saw before her
the flower-garden and the lawn, whose green turf extended to the
threshold of the house, she stopped in alarm, and would have given a
great deal could she have retired into the shadow again unobserved. For
right in front of her, in the midst of a clump of tall rosebushes from
which she was cutting the finest flowers for a bouquet, stood Zenz, who
recognized her a