her.

Then Frau Ceres reprimanded the gardener for raking over the paths. The
marks of her husband's feet were in the gravel, and they must not be
removed, or he would die.

At other times, she would sit at the window for hours together, looking
out upon the hills and the clouds, and the river where the boats were
sailing up and down; and all the while she would be grieving in a low
voice to herself,--

"Henry, I grieved you sorely, I wounded you; you may whip me as you
would your slaves; only let me be with you, forgive me. Do you
remember that day when you came out to me, and Caesar played the harp,
and I danced in my blue frock and my gold-colored shoes? Do you
remember?"--"Manna," she suddenly cried; "Manna, bring your harp and
play for me. I want to dance; I am still pretty. Come, Henry!"

Suddenly she turned to Fraeulein Perini, and asked, "He is coming back,
is he not?" Her tone was so quiet and natural as for the moment to
re-assure them.

"Tell him he shall marry Frau Bella when I die," she suddenly began
again, her great eyes gazing vacantly before her. "Frau Bella is a
handsome widow, very handsome; and he shall give her my ornaments, they
will look so well on her."

"Pray, do not speak so."

"Come, we must see that his heaths are well taken care of. He taught me
all about them. We will have some good bog-earth dried and pounded and
sifted. Then, when he comes home, he will say, 'That was very clever of
you, Ceres: you did that well.'"

She went with Fraeulein Perini to the hot-house, and gave intelligent
directions to the head gardener that he should be careful to keep the
heaths very moist, and not in too high a temperature.

Fraeulein Perini sent one of the boys who was working in the garden to
fetch Eric. Her anxiety was so great, she could not bear to be left
longer alone with Frau Ceres.

Frau Ceres appeared very composed. After examining all the heaths, and
lifting each one up to see that the saucers were kept properly damp,
she left the hot-house, saying as she went,--

"It is quite time that Captain Dournay should learn the care of plants.
These scholars fancy there is nothing they can learn from us: I can
assure them they can learn a great deal from my husband. There are more
than two hundred heaths at the Cape. Yes, you may take my word for it;
he told me so. Now let us go back into the house."

On their way, they came to an open space, where was a pond, and a
little fountain playin