re taken, and it slowed into the station
and stopped. Ida's head and face were seen peering through one of
the second-class windows, on the lookout, and Barty opened the door
and there was a warm and affectionate greeting between them; the
meeting was joy to both.

Then he was warmly greeted by Mrs. Gibson, who introduced him to her
mother; then he was conscious of somebody he had not seen yet
because she stood at his blind side (indeed, he had all but
forgotten her existence); namely, the presence of a very tall and
most beautiful dark-haired young lady, holding out her slender
gloved hand and gazing up into his face with the most piercing and
strangest and blackest eyes that ever were; yet so soft and quick
and calm and large and kind and wise and gentle that their
piercingness was but an added seduction; one felt they could never
pierce too deep for the happiness of the heart they pronged and
riddled and perforated through and through!

Involuntarily came into Barty's mind, as he shook the slender hand,
a little song of Schubert's he had just learnt:

"Du dist die Ruh', der Friede mild!"

And wasn't it odd?--all his doubts and perplexities resolved
themselves at once, as by some enchantment, into a lovely,
unexpected chord of extreme simplicity; and Martia was gently but
firmly put aside, and the divine Julia quietly relegated to the
gilded throne which was her fit and proper apanage.

Barty saw to the luggage, and sent it on, and they all went on foot
behind it.

The bridge of boats across the Rhine was open in the middle to let a
wood-raft go by down stream. This raft from some distant forest was
so long they had to wait nearly twenty minutes; and the prow of it
had all but lost itself in the western purple and gold and dun of
sky and river while it was still passing the bridge.

All this was new and delightful to the Londoners, who were also
delighted with the rooms Barty had taken for them in the Koenig's
Allee and the tea that awaited them there. Leah made tea, and gave a
cup to Barty. That was a good cup of tea, better even than the tea
Julia was making (that very moment, no doubt) at Beresford Duff's.

Then the elder ladies rested, and Barty took Leah and Ida for a walk
in the Hof gardens. They were charmed with everything--especially
the fire-flies at dusk. Leah said little; she was not a very
talkative person outside her immediate family circle. But Ida and
Barty had much to say.

Then home