ad to hide her smile.

"Are you not very lonely, living here all by yourself?" she asked a
moment later.

"Indeed I have to do everything for myself," said the miller sadly.

"And there is nobody to--to care for you?"

"No, nor to look after my comfort," said the miller. "Have you any
kindred?"

"I have two brothers, sir; but they are married now, and have no need
of me."

The miller laid down his pipe and, setting his elbow on the table,
faced Princess Osra.

"H'm!" said he. "And is it likely you will ride this way again?"

"I may chance to do so," said Osra, and now there was a glance of
malicious triumph in her eyes; she was thinking already how the
bracelet would look on her arm.

"Ah!" said the miller. And after a pause he added: "If you do, come
half an hour before dinner, and you can lend a hand in making it ready.
Where did you get those fine clothes?"

"My mistress gave them to me," answered Osra. "She has cast them off."

"And that horse you rode?"

"It is my master's; I have it to ride when I do my mistress's errands."

"Will your master and mistress do anything for you if you leave your
service?"

"I have been promised a present if--" said Osra, and she paused in
apparent confusion.

"Aye," said the miller, nodding sagaciously, as he rose slowly from the
arm-chair. "Will you be this way again in a week or so?" he asked.

"I think it is very likely," answered the Princess Osra.

"Then look in," said the miller "About half an hour before dinner."

He nodded his head again very significantly at Osra, and, turning away,
went to his work, as a man goes who would far rather sit still in the
sun. But just as he reached the door he turned his head and asked:
"Are you sturdy?"

"I am strong enough, I think," said she.

"A sack of flour is a heavy thing for man to lift by himself," remarked
the miller, and with that he passed through the door and left her alone.

Then she cleared the table, put the pie--or what was left--in the
larder, set the room in order, refilled the pipe, stood the jug handy
by the cask, and, with a look of great satisfaction on her face,
tripped out to where her horse was, mounted and rode away.

The next week--and the interval had seemed long to her, and no less
long to the Miller of Hofbau--she came again, and so the week after;
and in the week following that she came twice; and on the second of
these two days, after dinner, the miller did not go off to his sa