the night The Milky Way ran, like the ring of eternity, around the
immensity of space; below it glided the sharp sickle of the moon,
cutting across the brief days and the brief joys of men. But clear among
the stars shone the Twins, those ever-burning, intertwined symbols of
friendship; westward they rose, and on the right of them blazed the
heart of the Lion. The two friends had studied astronomy together, and
when Victor pointed out the happy sign in the midnight sky, Flamin began
to tell him his troubles. He, a poor clergyman's son, had fallen wildly
in love with Clotilda, the beautiful daughter of Prince January, of
Flachsenfingen. She was living at the country seat of the Lord
Chamberlain Le Baut, at St. Luna; so poor Flamin was able to see her
every day. Knowing that he could neither forget her nor win her, he was
tortured by a strange, hopeless jealousy, and he now confessed that,
instead of looking forward with joy to Victor's return to his home, he
had been consumed with fear lest his brilliant, noble, handsome friend
should utterly eclipse him in the sight of his beloved lady.

"Cannot I do anything to help you?" said Victor, tenderly.

"Your father has immense influence over Prince January," said Flamin,
"could you beg him to get me some court position at Flachsenfingen? If
only I could make my way in the world, perhaps I might be able to hope
to win at last the hand of my lady."

Victor at once promised to do all in his power; and the two friends,
newly reattached to each other, came down from the watch-tower, and,
with their arms lovingly entwined, they returned to the parsonage.

_II.--Love_

The next day Chamberlain Le Baut gave a garden party in honour of the
son of the great English minister.

"Take good care!" said the chaplain's wife as Victor set off; "she is
very beautiful."

Victor had no need to ask who "she" was.

"I shall take care not to take care," he replied, with a smile.

Victor was too much of a man of the world to fall in love at first
sight. But when he entered the garden, and a sweet, tall, and lovely
figure came forward to greet him from behind the foliage, he felt as if
all his blood had been driven in his face. It was Clotilda. She spoke to
him, but he listened to the melody of her voice, instead of to her
words, so that he did not understand what she was saying. Her quiet,
reserved eyes, however, brought him to his senses; but still he could
not help feeling glad that,