fore it. Gertrude pressed her hands suddenly against her
beating heart. "Frank!" she gasped, and her limbs almost refused to
support her as she tried to make a few steps; He had waited for the
answer himself!

"There he is, there he is, my bridegroom!" escaped from the quivering
lips. The whole sacred signification of that blessed word overpowered
her. Then Sophie opened the door softly and he crossed the threshold of
the dainty maiden's boudoir, and shut the door as softly behind him.
The faithful old servant could only see how her proud young mistress
nestled into his arms and mutely received his kisses--"Oh, what a
wonderful thing this love is!" she said, smiling to herself.

Then she turned towards the drawing-room, but when she reached the door
she turned away with a shake of her head. They would all be rushing in
and she would not shorten these blessed minutes for Gertrude. It would
be time enough to go to "madam" in a quarter of an hour. And she busied
herself in the corridor in order to be at hand at the right moment, in
case they should both forget all about the mother in the multiplicity
of things they had to say.

It was midnight before Linden finally drove home. The jovial uncle had
gotten up a little celebration of the betrothal on the spur of the
moment, and made a long speech himself. Then Mrs. Jenny had been very
gay and had laughed and jested with her brother-in-law _in spe_. But
Mrs. Baumhagen, after a private interview of half an hour with the
young man, remained silent and grave, and played out her role of
anxious mother to the end. She scarcely touched her lips to the glass
of champagne when the company drank to the health of the young
betrothed.

Frank Linden, however, had not taken offence at her coldness. She knew
him so slightly, and he had come like a hungry wolf to rob her of her
one little lamb.

It must be dreadful to give up a daughter, he thought, and especially
such a daughter as Gertrude. He was touched to the heart; he thought of
his own old mother, he thought how gloomy the future had looked to him
only a few weeks ago and how sunny it was now; and all these sunny rays
shone out from a pair of blue eyes in a sweet, pale, girlish face. He
did not know himself how he had happened to speak to her so quickly of
his love. He saw again that brilliantly lighted crimson room of
yesterday, and the dim twilight in the bow-window room; there she stood
in the wonderful light, a mingled moonl