eamed aloud for joy, and stretched forth her little arms to
catch gilly-flowers, roses, and carnations, which fell upon and around
her. Elise turned herself round in surprise, and her surprise changed
itself into the most delightful sensation of joy, as the lips of her
husband were pressed to her forehead.

"Ah, you!" exclaimed Elise, and threw her arms round his neck, and
caressingly stroked his cheek.

"I shall get wet through with all this," said he, laughing, yet without
leaving the bath, nay, he even stooped down his head to little Gabriele,
kissed her, and allowed her to splash him with water.

"Thank God! all is right again! and perhaps it will be best to take no
further notice of this unpleasant affair!" thought she, and prepared to
follow her husband into the parlour.

The Judge had, probably, during his bad tea at the club, held with the
invisible speakers the same conversation, with some variations, as his
wife during his absence, the consequence whereof was his visit to the
bathing-room, and the shower of flowers from the nosegay he had brought
with him for her, and the kiss of reconciliation which effaced every
thoughtless and wounding word. He felt now quite pleased that everything
was as it should be, and that the gentle and yielding temper of his wife
would require nothing further. But, perhaps, on that very account, he
was dissatisfied with himself, her eyes red with weeping grieved him,
especially as they beamed so kindly upon him, he felt that he misused
the power which circumstances had given him over his wife; he felt that
he had behaved harshly to her, and therefore he had no peace with
himself, therefore he felt a necessity to pronounce one word--one word,
which it is so hard for the lips of a man to pronounce, yet, which Ernst
Frank was too manly, too firm to shrink from.

When, therefore, his wife entered, he offered her his hand; "Forgive me,
Elise," said he, with the deepest feeling; "I have behaved severely,
nay, absurdly to-day!"

"Oh, forgive me, Ernst!" said Elise, deeply affected, whilst she pressed
his hand to her heart and----

Accursed be all disturbers of peace in this world! Such a one entered at
that moment, and undid that which would otherwise have bound them so
closely to each other. It was a messenger from the Colonel's widow with
a note, together with a book for the Judge, and two little bottles of
select Eau de rose for Elise, "of which, I know," said the note, "she is