ve him yet. If Veronica was going to
marry some one else, he did not want to hear about it. He could not make
up his mind to go to Australia as Jost advised; it was too far away; he
was almost dead of homesickness even in Hamburg. If they were after him
for the man-slaughter, he thought he could hide well enough there, and
perhaps in a few years when the whole thing was forgotten, he could come
home again.

If worst came to worst, and he were taken, he should at least get home, if
only to be put into the House of Correction. He felt the worst on his
mother's account. He wanted Jost to write and tell him about things at
home, and it was safest to send to the same address, as he always called
for the letters himself.

Veronica hung upon every word that fell from Blasi's lips, and when he had
finished, she walked silently by his side, deep in thought. Presently he
asked her what he should do if Jost found out that he had opened his
letter and hauled him up before a Justice of the Peace for it. Veronica
said she believed that Jost would scarcely care to say anything about the
letter. She advised Blasi to keep his own counsel, and to behave as usual,
in a perfectly unconcerned manner, whenever he met Jost. She would take
the rest in hand herself. Blasi was more than willing to leave it all to
her; he had entire confidence in her ability to manage the affair. The
letters of all the country round were collected at the central office in
Fohrensee, to be forwarded together from there to the nearest city, where
they were sorted and distributed. Veronica thought of this, and laid her
plans accordingly. The next day as soon as she reached Fohrensee, she went
to the post-office, and asked to see the address of a letter which had
just been sent in, on its way to Hamburg. The post-master, who knew her
well, did not think the request at all singular, supposing that it had
something to do with the school business.

"A letter for Hamburg came in last evening;" said his daughter who was his
assistant, "there it lies with the others that came with it."

The postmaster went to the table and found the letter, which he handed to
Veronica. "The address is not very nicely written," he said.

The handwriting was either that of a person unused to the pen, or it was
purposely disguised. The letter was addressed to a woman of the same name
as that of the miller's widow. The name of the street was illegible, but
the words "To be called for," wer