n her present situation, and her lady, she
became more reserved. On this subject, however, Madame Brun was less
disposed to question than to relate herself.

"I knew Mrs. Astrid," said she, "in our younger days, very well. She was
a very handsome lady, but always rather proud. However, I did not mind
that, and we were right good friends. People told me that I ought to pay
a visit to Semb, but--I don't know--I have never seen her since she has
been so strange. My God, dear friend, how can you live with her? She
must be so horribly gloomy and anxious!"

Susanna replied by a warm burst of praise of her lady, and said, "that
she was always sorrowful, and appeared to be unhappy, but that this only
bound her to her all the more."

"Unhappy!" began Madame Brun again. "Yes, if that were all--but alas!"

Susanna asked in astonishment what she meant.

Madame Brun answered, "I say and think nothing bad of her, and always
defend her, but in any case there is something odd about her. Could you
really believe that there are people wicked enough to speak----to
suspect----a murder?"

Susanna could neither think nor speak--she only stared at the speaker.

"Yes, yes," continued Madame Brun, fluently; "so people say! To be sure
the Colonel, who was a monster, was most guilty in the affair; but yet,
nevertheless, she must have known of it--so people assert. See you--they
had a boy with them, the son of her sister. The mother died, after
having confided her child to the care of her sister and her
brother-in-law. What happens then? One fine day the boy has vanished----
never again comes to light----nobody knows what has become of him; but
his cloak is found on a rock, by the lake, and drops of blood on the
stone under it! The boy had vanished, and his property came in well for
his relations, since the Colonel had gambled away everything which he
and his wife possessed. But our Lord, in his justice, smote the Colonel,
so that for five years he remained lame and speechless, and his wife
never since that has had one joyful day on earth."

Susanna turned pale with emotion, and as zealously as she had before
defended the honour of her native land, now defended she the innocence
of her lady. But in this she was interrupted by the friendly hostess,
who invited her to join the other young people in games and dancing. But
Susanna was so excited by that which she had heard, and longed so much
to be at home with her mistress, for whom, now that