"How the fire was occasioned I know not, and do not trouble myself to
discover. The misfortune has happened, and may serve as a warning for
the future, and that is enough. My house has not become impoverished in
love, even though it may be so in worldly goods, and that sustains and
heals all. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be
the name of the Lord!"

Probably the Judge would listen to no conjectures respecting the origin
of the fire. We will venture, however, not the less on that account to
give our conjectures;--thus, it is very probable that the fire had its
origin in the chamber of the young Baron L., and that also he, in his
scarcely half sober state, might have been the occasion of it. Probably
he himself regarded the affair in this light; but this however is
certain, that this event, in connexion with the behaviour of the Franks
towards him, occasioned a great change in the temper and character of
this young man. His father came for him shortly after this, and took him
to consult a celebrated oculist in Copenhagen, in consequence of his
eyes having suffered severely in the fire.

Our eyes will see him again, only at a much later period of our history.

The daughters of the house busied themselves earnestly with the
already-spoken-of plans for discovering a means of independent
subsistence for themselves, that they might lighten the anxieties of
their parents in their present adverse circumstances, and that without
being burdensome to anybody else. Eva wished at first to accept an
invitation to a country-seat in the neighbourhood, not far from that
where Major R. was at present. Axelholm opened itself, heart, arms,
main-building and wings, for the members of the Frank family. There were
wanting no opportunities for colonisation; but the Judge besought his
children so earnestly to decline all these, and for the present to
remain altogether.

"In a few months," said he, "perhaps in spring, you can do what you
like; but now--let us remain together. It is needful to me to have you
now all around me, in order to feel that I really possess you all. I
cannot bear the thoughts of losing any one of you at present."

The thought of parting appeared likewise soon to weigh heavily upon him.
Henrik, since the night of the conflagration, had scarcely had a moment
free from suffering; a violent, incessant beating of the heart had
remained since then, and the pain of this was accompanied by dangerous