rning; but it was an old engagement
with Madame Potecki. Ah, how good she is! Do you see how she pretends to
be interested in those things?"

"I will send her a present of some old china before I leave England,"
said Brand.

"No, no," said Natalie, with a faint smile appearing on the sad face.
"It would destroy her theory. She does not care for anything at home so
long as she possesses these public treasures. She is very content.
Indeed, she earns enough to be charitable. She has many poor
dependents."

By-and-by Madame Potecki, with great evident reluctance, confessed that
she had to return, as one of her pupils would be at her house by
half-past twelve. But would not Mr. Brand take her dear adopted child to
see some of the pictures? It was a pity that she should be dragged away,
and so forth.

But Natalie promptly put an end to these suggestions by saying that she
would prefer to return with Madame Potecki; and, it being now past
twelve, as soon as they got outside she engaged a cab. George Brand saw
them off, and then returned into the building. He wished to look again
at the objects she had looked at, to recollect every word she had
uttered; to recall the very tones in which she had spoken. And this
place was so hushed and quiet.

Meanwhile, as the occupants of the cab were journeying northward,
Natalie took occasion to say to her companion, with something of a
heightened color,

"You must not imagine, dear madame, that I expected to see Mr. Brand at
the Museum when I promised to go with you."

"But what if you had expected, my child?" said the good-natured
music-mistress. "What harm is there?"

"But this morning I did expect him to come, and that is why I left the
message with Anneli," continued the girl. "Because, do you know, madame,
he is going to America; and when he goes I may not see him for many
years."

"My child!" the demonstrative little woman exclaimed, catching hold of
the girl's hand.

But Natalie was not inclined to be sympathetic at this moment.

"Now I wish you, dear Madame Potecki," she continued in a firm voice,
"to do me a favor. I would rather not speak to my father about Mr.
Brand. I wish you to tell him for me that so long as Mr. Brand remains
in England I shall continue to see him; and that as I do not choose he
should come to my father's house, I shall see him as I saw him this
morning."

"My love, my love, what a frightful duty! Is it necessary?"

"It is necessary that my