. Was it in truth a fainting-fit, or did the sufferer
take advantage of his emotion to play a part and escape the
embarrassment of his situation?

In a moment the whole party were on their feet, while Lenora screamed
and ran to her father.

"It's nothing," said De Vlierbeck, striving, after a minute or two, to
rally himself. "I am faint; the confined air of this room overcame me.
Let me walk a while in the garden and I will soon be better."

As he said this he staggered to his feet, and, supported by Lenora and
Gustave, moved toward the garden, followed by Denecker with an
expression of the deepest concern. A short rest in the open air beneath
the shade of a noble chestnut-tree quickly restored a faint color to De
Vlierbeck's cheek and enabled him to tranquillize their anxiety about
his sudden attack.

"I will rest here a while out of doors," said he, "for fear the fit
might return; and perhaps a slow walk in the garden might hasten my
recovery."

"It will do both of us good," answered Denecker; "and, besides, as I
have to quit you at five o'clock, I don't want to leave Grinselhof
without seeing its garden. Let us take a turn through your walks, and
afterward we shall have time enough to finish another bottle."

As he said this he passed Lenora's arm within his own, and, casting a
coquettish glance at Gustave, began their promenade. By degrees De
Vlierbeck rallied sufficiently to take part in the chat; and gardening,
agriculture, sporting, and a hundred different country topics, were
fully discussed. Lenora recovered her spirits and charmed their
commercial guest by the mingled charms of her intellectual cleverness
and innocent gayety. Wild as a deer, she dared him to run a race with
her, and danced along the paths by his side full of mirth and
sportiveness. In truth, Denecker was altogether captivated by the
ingenuous girl, and, as he looked on her radiant face, could not help
thinking that the future had some happy days in store for his gallant
nephew. After a while Lenora strayed off in advance with Gustave, while
the two elders lingered lazily along the path. Gustave was charmed with
the flowers, the plants, the gold-fish, which Lenora pointed out to him;
nor was he at all desirous to shorten their delicious flirtation by
returning to the table. This chimed precisely with the anxiety of De
Vlierbeck, who employed every stratagem he could conceive to keep his
guest in the open air. He told stories, repeated jo