grily.
"Let me go, Blasi, I've no time to spare."

But Blasi went along by his side, and before he had done talking, Jost
joined them and held Dietrich fast by the other arm.

"Come, come," he cried, "I have something to tell you that will make you
open your eyes, I guess. I came in a hurry on purpose not to miss you.
I've just come from the Rehbock, and I told them to keep the little back
room for us, so that we can talk quietly, without danger of being
interrupted. Come along, I say."

"I will not," said Dietrich, freeing his arm from the other's detaining
grasp. "I haven't time, and I don't believe you have anything special to
tell me, either. I must go." And Dietrich strode away; but Jost followed
him.

"Don't be such a fool," he called out angrily, "can't you listen when I
tell you that I know something decidedly to your advantage. Something that
you'll be glad to know. You are running away because of her, and it is
something that will be good for her as well as for you. So do stand still,
and don't go scampering off as if the gamekeepers were after you!" But
Dietrich did not stop.

"What do you know about her, or her good?" he asked furiously. "Mind your
own business and let us alone."

As Jost had his own interest in winning the young fellow over, he
controlled himself, and said in most soothing tones,

"Dietrich, I am your friend. Some day you will be very grateful to me. As
you are in such a hurry, I will not stop you now; only promise me to come
over bye-and-bye for a few minutes to the Rehbock; there's a good fellow,
and you will not be sorry. Will you come?"

"Well, I've no particular objection to that," said Dietrich, and ran off
as fast as he could.

Blasi, who had kept pace with the other two, seeing that there was no
chance for him now, turned back with Jost, and the two went into the
Rehbock together.

Dietrich met Veronica quite the other side of the wood. He did his best to
rouse her from her silent mood, and to restore her to better spirits; but
he found it impossible to efface the impression she had received the
evening before. The painful memory had been too deeply stamped upon her
mind, to be easily wiped out.

When the little family had bade each other good-night, after their usual
affectionate conversation, Dietrich hesitated about keeping his half-made
promise. He did not want to go; yet Jost's words, that the affair touched
her as nearly as it did him, had made their intended imp