it represented the world to
Carl and Greta. For it did sometimes happen that loaded wagons would
jolt over it, or a rough soldier gallop along, and more rarely still,
a gay cavalier would prance by the wondering children.

For there was a war in the land. And when, after a time, the armies
came near enough to the forest for the children to hear occasionally
the roll of the heavy guns, a strange thing happened.

One evening when they arrived at home, they found in their humble
little cottage one of the gay-looking cavaliers they had sometimes
seen on the forest road, and with him was a very beautiful lady. Old
Nurse Heine was getting the spare room ready by beating up the great
feather bed, and laying down on the floor the few strips of carpet
they possessed. Their father was talking with the strangers, and he
told them that Carl and Greta were his children; but they took no
notice of them, for they were completely taken up with each other, for
the gentleman, it appeared, was going away, and to leave the lady
there. Carl greatly admired this cavalier, and had no doubt he was the
noblest-looking man in the world, and studied him so closely that he
would have known him among a thousand. Presently the forester led his
children out of the cottage, and soon after the cavalier came out, and
springing upon his horse, galloped away among the dark pines.

[Illustration]

The strange lady was at the cottage several weeks, and the children
soon learned to love her dearly. She was fond of rambling about with
them, and was seldom to be found within the house when the weather was
fair. She never went near the road, but preferred the oak wood, and
sometimes when the children were amusing themselves she would sit for
hours absorbed in deep thought or singing to herself in a sad and
dreamy way.

At other times she would interest herself in the children, and tell
them of things in the world outside the forest. She praised Carl's
pictures, and showed him how to work in his colors so as to more
effectively bring out the perspective, and tried to educate his taste,
as far as she could, by describing the pictures of the great masters.
She often said afterwards that she could never have lived through
those dark days but for the comfort she found in the children.

Carl saw that she was sorrowful, and he understood that her sadness
was not because of the plain fare and the way of living at the
forester's cottage, which he knew must seem