eve he was rejoiced that he did not have to propose for
himself."

The excitement of the two had by this time reached fever heat, and it
was a fortunate thing that the noise from the piano drowned all further
conversation. Fraeulein Antonie had great strength in her hands, and her
only idea of music was to make all the noise she could; one would have
thought a regiment of soldiers was storming a fort. Just now the noise
irritated her father, who wanted to hear himself speak.

"Toni, Toni, don't break the new piano in two with your thumping," he
shouted crossly. "What is it you are playing, anyway?"

Toni was working away bravely, notwithstanding the perspiration was
running down her face. Near her sat her lover on a little sofa, his eyes
shaded by his arm as he leaned back, his very soul steeped, as it were,
in the music. At her father's question the fair musician turned slowly
on her stool and answered in a half-sleepy tone:

"That is the 'Janizary March,' papa. I thought it would please Will, as
he is a soldier, you know."

"Yes; a dragoon by accident," muttered her father, as he stepped over to
his future son-in-law, who hardly seemed to appreciate the delicate
attentions of his fiancee.

"Well Will, what do you say to all this fine music?--Will, don't you
hear me? I believe upon my life he's sound asleep."

The young heir, aroused now by the scolding voices on all sides, rubbed
his eyes and looked at them with a dazed, drowsy air.

"What--what is the matter? Yes, it was very beautiful, dear Toni."

"Yes, to be sure it was," cried the head forester with an angry flash of
his eye. "You need never trouble yourself to play for him again, my
child. But come, let us leave this ardent lover to finish his nap in
peace. He has good strong nerves, I must say that for him."

With these words the irate father gave Antonie his arm and led her from
the room. But Frau von Eschenhagen, already highly incensed, felt that
her son's inattention to his sweetheart was an additional insult, and
now turned upon poor Willibald in a fury.

"Well, you have overstepped the limits of common decency, this time!"
she cried in a rage. "Your blessed father wasn't much of a carpet knight
in his day. He was engaged to me just twenty-four hours when he fell
asleep, too, while I played for him; but I waked him up after such a
fashion he never did it a second time I can assure you. Now go after
Toni this minute and say what you can to excus