r.

The forest trees cast long, cool shadows from their green and sombre
depths, while the sunbeams danced in and out among the branches through
all the silent, bright days.

Ostwalden, the estate which Herbert von Wallmoden had purchased
immediately before his death, had been empty and deserted until within
the past few days, when the young widow, accompanied by her
sister-in-law, Frau von Eschenhagen, had arrived. Adelheid had left the
South German capital soon after her husband's death, and had gone to her
old home accompanied by her brother, who had hastened to her side as
soon as he heard of the sad accident. Her short marriage had only lasted
eight months and now in her twentieth year she wore the weeds of
widowhood.

Regine had been easily persuaded to accompany her sister-in-law. She had
never changed her ultimatum regarding her return to Burgsdorf, and it is
needless to add, Willibald had not changed. Adelheid asked her to go
home with her and she had gone, feeling that her threat had as yet borne
no fruit.

Frau von Eschenhagen believed she could effect a revolution of feeling
in Willibald's heart by this move. But his newly acquired firmness had
not been fleeting, though he tried every argument to persuade his mother
to return to Burgsdorf and to think kindly of his future wife--but all
to no purpose. Regine had no thought of yielding an inch, and now,
mother and son had not seen one another for many months.

There had been no formal betrothal to Marietta. Willibald felt that he
owed his cousin and uncle the consideration of not having a second
betrothal follow so closely upon the first. Then Marietta's contract
with the Court theatre bound her for the next six months, and as her
engagement was a secret there, it was thought advisable to keep it so
until she had left the theatre forever. The young singer had but just
returned to her grandfather's house, where Willibald was also expected
soon. Frau von Eschenhagen knew nothing of all this, or she would hardly
have accepted an invitation which brought her into the neighborhood of
Waldhofen.

The day had been hot and sunny, but the late afternoon hours brought a
refreshing breeze, and swayed the drooping branches of the trees which
overhung and shaded the road leading from Ostwalden through the Rodeck
forest. Along this road, two men were trotting their horses; the one in
gray jacket and hunting cap was the head forester, Herr von Schoenau, the
other in