ng. True, there dwelt also those who had the
greatest power of attraction for her.

She was just returning home from the palace park, where stood a pleasant
summer house in which Adrian Dubois lived with his wife and one child.
It was this child especially that drew Barbara to the upper city as
often as possible, and constantly forced her thoughts to linger there
and still to follow the "higher" of the imperial motto, which everywhere
else she was compelled to renounce.

True, a limit was fixed to these visits to the Dubois couple. For one
whole year Frau Traut had successfully concealed the child from the
mother; then Barbara had once met the boy outside the house, and the way
in which he was hurried out of her sight led to the conviction that this
was her child, and Frau Dubois had imprudently betrayed the secret.

From this time Barbara knew that her John had been confided to the care
of the valet and his wife. At last Frau Traut had been unable to resist
her entreaties, and allowed her to see her son and hold him a short time
in her arms.

He was a strong, splendid child, with his mother's thick, curling locks
and large blue eyes. Barbara thought that she had never seen a handsomer
boy; and not only the Dubois, who had yielded their whole hearts to
their nursling, but strangers also admired the magnificent development
of this rare child. The young mother saw in him something grander, more
perfect than the children of other human beings, even than the two boys
whom she had given her husband, although little John usually repulsed
her caresses.

In granting Barbara permission to see her child often, Frau Traut
transgressed an explicit command of the Emperor and, to prevent the evil
consequences which her sympathy might entail, she allowed the mother
to rejoice in the sight of her little son only once a month, and then
always for a short time.

During these interviews she was strictly forbidden to bestow even the
smallest gift upon the boy.

To-day John had voluntarily approached the stranger to whom he owed
his life, but whose passionate caresses at their first meeting had
frightened him, to show her the little wooden horse that Adrian had just
given him. This had made her happy, and on the way home the memory of
her hidden treasure more than once brought a joyous smile to her lips.

At home she first sought her children. Her husband, who had now been
appointed mustering officer, was on one of the journeys req