liarities of the family she
marries into, especially if they are unpleasant."

"But she has been a widow for years. And is so poor. And is so crushed."

"I never yet heard of a permanently crushed Treumann," said Axel,
shaking his head.

"You are trying to make me uneasy," said Anna, a slight touch of
impatience in her voice. She was singularly sensitive about her chosen
ones; sensitive in the way mothers are about a child that is deformed.

"No, no," he said quickly, "I only wish to warn you. You maybe
disappointed--it is just possible." He could not bear to think of her as
disappointed.

"Pray, do you know anything against the other two?" she asked with some
defiance. "One of them is a Baroness Elmreich, and the other is a
Fraeulein Kuhraeuber."

Axel looked amused. "I never heard of Fraeulein Kuhraeuber," he said.
"What does Princess Ludwig say to her coming?"

"Nothing at all. What should she say?"

It was Fraeulein Kuhraeuber's coming that had more particularly occasioned
the pursing of the princess's lips.

"I know some Elmreichs," said Axel. "A few of them are respectable; but
one branch at least of the family is completely demoralised. A Baron
Elmreich shot himself last year because he had been caught cheating at
cards. And one of his sisters--oh, well, some of them are harmless, I
believe."

"Thank you."

"You are angry with me?"

"Very."

"And why?"

"You want to prejudice me against these poor things. They can't help
what distant relations do. They will get away from them in my house, at
least, and have peace."

"Miss Letty, is your aunt often--what is the word--so fractious?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Letty, who found it dull waiting in silence
while other people talked. "It's breakfast time, you know, and people
can't stand much just about then."

"Oh, youthful philosopher!" exclaimed Axel. "So young, and of the female
sex, and yet to have pierced to the very root of human weakness!"

"Stuff," said Letty, offended.

"What, are you going to be angry too? Then let me get on my horse and
go."

"It's the best thing you can do," said Letty, always frank, but doubly
so when she was hungry.

"Shall you come and see us soon?" Anna asked, gathering up her skirts in
her one free hand, preparatory to crossing the muddy road.

"But you are angry with me."

She looked up and laughed. "Not now," she said; "I've finished. Do you
think I'm going to be angry long this pleasant April morning?"