vel; and
Nelly, unable to bear her grief any longer in silence, threw herself on
the spot, and wept bitterly. Hans withdrew, and motioned to the others
to follow him; and none remained but old Andy, who, on his knees and
with clasped hands, seemed to think that he was praying, although all
his attention was directed to a little group of children who stood near,
and whom he awed into reverence by many a threatening gesture.

And thus the long day stole over; and it was only as evening drew nigh
that Nelly could be induced to take her last farewell, and breathe her
last prayer over the grave of her father.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE TYROL JOURNEY.

If our task as story-teller had not other claims on us, we would gladly
linger with Nelly Dalton, as, in company with Hanserl and old Andy, she
wended her slow way through the deep valleys of the Schwartz wald. The
little party might have created astonishment in even more frequented
districts than the primitive tract in which they journeyed, and have
suggested many a puzzling doubt as to what rank or condition they
belonged to. For Andy's convenience Hans had purchased an ass and a
small cart, such as are sometimes used by the travelling beggars of
every land. Seated in this, and in his old hunting-cap and scarlet
coat, the old man fancied it was some pleasure excursion, or that he was
"trundling along" to "cover," as he used to do sixty years ago. Nelly
walked at his side, now roused from her deep musings to reply to some
meaningless question of the old man, or now feeding her sad memories
as she listened to the little snatches of song which occasionally broke
from him. Hanserl formed the rear-guard, making with his redoubted
battle-axe and a most formidable old Turkish pistol, not the least
singular figure in the procession. Their very baggage too had something
strange and incomprehensible to common eyes; for, amidst stray scraps of
old armor, the little remnants of Hanserl's collection, were to be seen
an unfinished figure by Nelly's hand, or the rude beginning of some new
group. Along with these were books and tools, and an infinity of queer
costumes, of the dwarfs own designing, for various seasons of the year.

Still, there was no impertinence in the curiosity that met them. If
Andy's strange equipage and stranger dress might have raised a smile,
Nelly's gentle look and modest air as rapidly checked it, and they who
would have laughed outright at Hanserl's mock-chieftai