er had
removed. He had not even got into the park with her when he perceived
that her manner was distinctly reserved. Anneli was with her, and she
kept talking from time to time to the little maid, who was thus obliged,
greatly against her will, to walk close to her mistress. At last Brand
said,

"Natalie, have I offended you?"

"Oh no!" she said, in a hurried, low voice.

"Natalie," said he, very gently, "I once heard of a wicked creature who
was determined to play the hypocrite, and might have done a great deal
of mischief, only she had a most amiable mother, who stepped in and gave
somebody else a warning. Did you ever hear of such a wicked person?"

The blood mounted to her face. By this time Anneli had taken leave to
fall behind.

"Then," said the girl, with some hesitation, and yet with firmness, "you
will not misunderstand me. If all the circumstances are to be altered,
then--then you must forget what I have said to you in moments of
trouble. I have a right to ask it. You must forget the past altogether."

"But it is impossible!"

"It is necessary."

For some minutes they walked on in silence. Then he felt a timid touch
on his arm; her hand had been laid there, deprecatingly, for a moment.

"Are you angry with me?"

"No, I am not," said he, frankly, "for the very reason that what you ask
is impossible, unnecessary, absurd. You might as well ask me to forget
that I am alive. In any case, isn't it rather too soon? Are you so sure
that all the trouble is past? Wait till the storm is well over, and we
are going into port, then we will put on our Sunday manners to go
ashore."

"I am afraid you are angry with me," she said again, timidly.

"You could not make me, if you tried," he said, simply; "but I am proud
of you, Natalie--proud of the courage and clearness and frankness of
your character, and I don't like to see you fall away from that, and
begin to consider what a school-mistress would think of you."

"It is not what any one may think of me that I consider; it is what I
think of myself," she answered, in the same low voice.

They reached Hans Place. The mother was at the door of the room to
welcome them. She took her daughter by the hand and led her in.

"Look round, Natalushka," she said. "Can you guess who has arranged all
this for me--for me and for you?"

The girl almost instantly turned--her eyes cast down--and took her
lover's hand, and kissed it in silence. That was all.

Then said he