to French and German, Polish and Hungarian audiences.

While this periodical recital was going on, Gertrude lived in a
fantastic world; she seemed to herself to be reading a romance that
came out in daily numbers. She had known nothing so delightful since
the perusal of "Nicholas Nickleby." One afternoon she went to see her
cousin, Mrs. Acton, Robert's mother, who was a great invalid, never
leaving the house. She came back alone, on foot, across the fields--this
being a short way which they often used. Felix had gone to Boston with
her father, who desired to take the young man to call upon some of his
friends, old gentlemen who remembered his mother--remembered her, but
said nothing about her--and several of whom, with the gentle ladies
their wives, had driven out from town to pay their respects at the
little house among the apple-trees, in vehicles which reminded the
Baroness, who received her visitors with discriminating civility, of
the large, light, rattling barouche in which she herself had made her
journey to this neighborhood. The afternoon was waning; in the western
sky the great picture of a New England sunset, painted in crimson
and silver, was suspended from the zenith; and the stony pastures, as
Gertrude traversed them, thinking intently to herself, were covered with
a light, clear glow. At the open gate of one of the fields she saw from
the distance a man's figure; he stood there as if he were waiting for
her, and as she came nearer she recognized Mr. Brand. She had a feeling
as of not having seen him for some time; she could not have said for
how long, for it yet seemed to her that he had been very lately at the
house.

"May I walk back with you?" he asked. And when she had said that he
might if he wanted, he observed that he had seen her and recognized her
half a mile away.

"You must have very good eyes," said Gertrude.

"Yes, I have very good eyes, Miss Gertrude," said Mr. Brand. She
perceived that he meant something; but for a long time past Mr. Brand
had constantly meant something, and she had almost got used to it. She
felt, however, that what he meant had now a renewed power to disturb
her, to perplex and agitate her. He walked beside her in silence for a
moment, and then he added, "I have had no trouble in seeing that you are
beginning to avoid me. But perhaps," he went on, "one need n't have had
very good eyes to see that."

"I have not avoided you," said Gertrude, without looking at him.