nfluence her
temper became more uncertain and suspicious. The mother, uneasy about
this connexion, no longer allowed her to be alone with him during the
music lesson, and this watchfulness excited Sara's pride, as well as the
grave yet gentle remonstrances which were made on account of her
behaviour were received with much impatience and disregard. The Judge
was the only person before whom Sara did not exhibit the dark side of
her character. His glance, his presence, seemed to exercise a certain
power over her; besides which, she was, perhaps, more beloved by him
than by all the other members of the family, with the exception of
Petrea.

One evening, Sara sate silent by one of the windows in the library,
supporting her beautiful head on her hand. Petrea sate at her feet on a
low stool; she also was silent, but every now and then looked up to Sara
with a tender troubled expression, whilst Sara sometimes looked down
towards her thoughtfully, and almost gloomily.

"Petrea," said she, quickly, "what would you say if I should leave you
suddenly to go into the wide world, and should never return?"

"What should I say?" answered Petrea, with a violent gush of tears: "ah,
I should say nothing at all, but should lie down and die of grief!"

"Do you really love me then so, Petrea?" asked she.

"Do I love you!" returned Petrea; "ah, Sara, if you go away, take me
with you as maid, as servant--I will do everything for you!"

"Good Petrea!" whispered Sara, laying her arm round her neck, and
kissing her weeping eyes, "continue to love Sara, but do not follow
her!"

"It seems terribly sultry to me this evening!" said Henrik, wearily: "we
cannot manage any family assembling to-night; not a bit of music; not a
bit of entertainment. The air seems as if an earthquake were at hand. I
fancy that Africa sends us something of a tempest. Petrea is weeping
like the cataract of Trollhaetten; and there go the people in
twos-and-twos and weep, and set themselves in corners and whisper and
mutter, and kiss one another, from my God-fearing parents down to my
silly little sisters! The King and Queen, they go and seat themselves
just has it happens, on living or dead things; they had nearly seated
themselves on me as I sate unoffensively on the sofa; but I made a turn
about _tout d'un coup_.--Betrothed! horribly wearisome folks! Are they
not, Gabriele? They cannot see, they cannot hear; they could not speak,
I fancy, but with one another!"

A