des this her air of superiority, and her
divine beauty turn the heads of our poor household officers. It is fine
and noble, of course, to be so zealous in the cause of a servant; but
it can do no good, for the evidence against her stammering favorite is
overwhelming, and when her last plea is demolished the matter is ended.
She says that she showed a necklace to the child, and to you, charming
Katharina."

"Showed it?" cried the young girl. "She took it away from us--did not
she, Mary?"

"Well, we had taken it without her leave," replied the child.

"And she wants our children to appear in a court of justice to bear
witness for her highness?" asked Neforis indignantly.

"Certainly," replied Orion. "But Mary's evidence is of no value in law."

"And even if it were," replied his mother, "the child should not be
mixed up with this disgraceful business under any circumstances."

"Because I should speak for Paula!" cried Mary, springing up in great
excitement.

"You will just hold your tongue," her grandmother exclaimed.

"And as for Katharina," said the widow, "I do not at all like the notion
of her offering herself to be stared at by all those gentlemen."

"Gentlemen!" observed the girl. "Men--household officials and such like.
They may wait long enough for me!"

"You must nevertheless do their bidding, haughty rosebud," said Orion
laughing. "For you, thank God, are no longer a child, and a court of
justice has the right of requiring the presence of every grown person
as a witness. No harm will come to you, for you are under my protection.
Come with me. We must learn every lesson in life. Resistance is vain.
Besides, all you will have to do will be to state what you have seen,
and then, if I possibly can, I will bring you back under the tender
escort of this arm, to your mother once more. You must entrust your
jewel to me to-day, Susannah, and this trustworthy witness shall tell
you afterwards how she fared under my care."

Katharina was quite capable of reading the implied meaning of these
words, and she was not ill-pleased to be obliged to go off alone with
the governor's handsome son, the first man for whom her little heart
had beat quicker; she sprang up eagerly; but Mary clung to her arm, and
insisted so vehemently and obstinately on being taken with them to bear
witness in Paula's behalf, that her governess and Dame Neforis had the
greatest difficulty in reducing her to obedience and letting the pair go