visit will not commit you to anything, and an interview with
the General to arrange matters will be absolutely necessary."

There was no refuting Overberg's line of argument. I confessed to
myself that it would be unfair on my part to form an opinion until
after a personal interview and further inquiries. So, accepting his
advice, I stepped into the carriage, and ordered the driver to take
the road to the Castle de Werve.

The morning was raw and cold, without sun, and the air was so heavy
that I did not know whether to expect snow or hail. At the toll-bar
my driver made inquiries about a short cut through a lane planted
with poplars, which would bring us out near the "fir wood."

As the country was very monotonous, and there was nothing to attract
my attention, I sank into deep thought, and began arranging a plan for
my conduct on first meeting with my cousin, a little speech to be made
when I was presented to her, and so forth. But then it occurred to me
that our best-laid schemes are generally thrown into confusion by the
circumstances of the event: how much more likely was this to be the
case in dealing with such a whimsical person as Francis? Accordingly,
I gave up all such ideas as preparing myself for the occasion,
resolving only to keep cool and act according to circumstances.

In the midst of these thoughts the carriage suddenly came to a
standstill, and the driver pointed out to me that the lane terminated
in a half-circle--he had taken the lane on the wrong side of the
wood. Whilst speaking we heard a horse galloping behind us, and in
another moment it shot past us like lightning.

"That's Major Frank!" said the driver.

"Major Frank," I repeated, in a tone of anger and surprise. "Whom do
you mean by that?"

"Why, the young lady of the Castle. They call her so in our village,
when she comes to see the boy."

Cutting short the conversation, I ordered him to find his way to the
Castle as soon as possible. A few minutes later, however, he had got
his carriage on such marshy ground that he was obliged to request me
to walk until he could lead his horse on to a firmer place.

CHAPTER X.

Once on my legs I took a view of the surrounding country. We were on
the outskirts of the wood, and separated from the ploughed cornfields
by a half-dry ditch, luxuriantly overgrown with all kinds of marsh
plants. On our right was a heath; on the left potato fields. There
was not a soul to be seen, and on