lves again alone in the
large drawing-room, but this sense of home was a little disturbed by a
letter which was brought to Edward, giving notice of fresh guests who
were to arrive the following day.

"It is as we supposed," Edward cried to Charlotte. "The Count will not
stay away; he is coming tomorrow."

"Then the Baroness, too, is not far off," answered Charlotte.

"Doubtless not," said Edward. "She is coming, too, tomorrow, from
another place. They only beg to be allowed to stay for a night; the next
day they will go on together."

"We must prepare for them in time, Ottilie," said Charlotte.

"What arrangement shall I desire to be made?" Ottilie asked.

Charlotte gave a general direction, and Ottilie left the room.

The Captain inquired into the relation in which these two persons stood
toward each other, and with which he was only very generally acquainted.
They had some time before, both being already married, fallen violently
in love with each other; a double marriage was not to be interfered with
without attracting attention. A divorce was proposed. On the Baroness's
side it could be effected, on that of the Count it could not. They were
obliged seemingly to separate, but their position toward each other
remained unchanged, and though in the winter at the Residence they were
unable to be together, they indemnified themselves in the summer, while
making tours and staying at watering-places.

They were both slightly older than Edward and Charlotte, and had been
intimate with them from early times at court. The connection had never
been absolutely broken off, although it was impossible to approve of
their proceedings. On the present occasion their coming was most
unwelcome to Charlotte; and if she had looked closely into her reasons
for feeling it so, she would have found it was on account of Ottilie.
The poor innocent girl should not have been brought so early in contact
with such an example.

"It would have been more convenient if they had not come till a couple
of days later," Edward was saying; as Ottilie re-entered, "till we had
finished with this business of the farm. The deed of sale is complete.
One copy of it I have here, but we want a second, and our old clerk has
fallen ill." The Captain offered his services, and so did Charlotte, but
there was something or other to object to in both of them.

"Give it to me," cried Ottilie, a little hastily.

"You will never be able to finish it," said Charlo