which she found impressed
there, gave her courage, and pressing his hand to her lips she threw
herself at his feet.

'What means this?' asked he indignantly, withdrawing his hand. 'I am no
tyrant such as they portray in French tragedies, nor am I fond of
theatrical scenes in real life. Stand up if you wish me to listen to
you.'

'Never, until you forgive me,' sobbed Georgina: 'I love!'

'So my observation did not deceive me,' said her father. 'You love? a
little too early, I must confess. But stand up, and tell me at once
whom you love.'

'The count Gyllenstierna,' lisped Georgina, in a scarcely audible
voice.

'Poor child!' exclaimed Goertz, compassionately. 'That will be a
troublesome affair to arrange.'

'That is what we have feared!' cried Georgina, wringing her hands and
rising up.

'I would not at any rate bring forward any objections against the young
man,' proceeded Goertz. 'But both of you have wholly overlooked the
fact, that his father is one of my most decided enemies. I would rather
undertake to bring about a peace between Sweden and Denmark than
between him and me.

The little Magdalena then threw her small, white arms round her
father's neck. 'Pray, pray,' implored she, 'give to poor Georgina her
Arwed; she loves him so very much.'

'Magdalena then is your confidant?' Goertz asked Georgina good
humoredly: 'she knows even the christian name of your chosen one. But
children, this affair, indeed, takes me by surprise. However, for the
present, at least, I shall not say no. To the _yes_, it will be
necessary to gain the consent of another besides the weak father of a
beloved daughter. Meanwhile, I should like to become a little
acquainted with your Corydon. So bring him in, Georgina, for no doubt
you hold him in ambuscade ready for the occasion.'

'You do me great injustice, dear father,' said Georgina, whose maiden
sensibility was touched. 'Arwed is in the Swedish camp, before
Frederickshall. He has already conquered a battery, for which the king
has named him a captain in the guards.'

'That, I confess, is being far on the way to a fieldmarshalship:' said
Goertz, jestingly, to conceal his surprise. 'At present I rejoice that
your choice does you honor every way: what further may come, is in the
hands of God. The idea is very agreeable to me, through the medium of a
beloved daughter to connect myself with one of the noble houses of the
country in which I hope to naturalize myself by my unceas