ng like a rose. "I've got a
most awful temper!"

"I'll risk it," said Karl laughing, and they plighted their troth under
the trees in the garden with no one but the empty chairs and tables
looking on, that were spread in anticipation of the guests who had not
arrived.

So Karl and Norah were engaged to be married and were as happy as ever
it is possible to be in this world! They did not celebrate the event in
the usual ceremonious German fashion; for Norah's friends and relations
were in Ireland and she had only a few acquaintances in Germany as yet.
Karl's mother was a widow, and lived with her married daughter in
Pomerania; so she could not come so far south for anything less than a
wedding or a funeral.

Now Karl began to consider the material side of the question. "Will the
love that we are rich in, light the fire in the kitchen, and the little
god of love turn the spit O!" What had they to live on? He was a young
man, and his income was very small; it takes many years in Germany to
make a career as engineer, unless you are exceptionally lucky and have
influential friends.

Hotel Fancy was rather like its name and did not pay at all as yet. Now
Karl had not forgotten the dwarfs, and Norah began to miss the gold
pieces which had disappeared fast enough in the last few weeks.

"I tell you what," she said, "we will go together to dwarfland. You can
arrange about the electric light, and I will do some metal polishing; we
will meet afterwards and come home again together, it will be splendid
fun!"

"How can we get there?" asked Karl somewhat dubiously.

"Why, the same way as we came out--through the rocky gap; I know the way
as well as anything, I have been there frequently," said Norah.

It was early autumn; the evenings had begun to close in. Karl had
managed to get off earlier than usual; still it was almost dusk as the
two set out to go to dwarfland. The sun was setting and threw a
wonderful golden glow over the world that was reflected in the hearts of
the young lovers.

"My stones must be there still," said Karl as they came to the little
brook, "for who could have taken them away?" Yet to his surprise there
were no stones there; neither were any to be found in the neighbourhood.
There was nothing for it, but to carry Norah over. He did not feel so
shy and embarrassed this time, as he picked up his little sweetheart
laughing and struggling in his arms.

"You are as light as a feather," he said as he se