ss the street,
singing or whistling tunes set in four parts. About thirty yards
behind, the girls walked arm in arm. They sang incessantly. Scarcely
was one song at an end before one girl or the other struck up a new
one, and the others fell in without consultation or debate.

Tony was on the left flank, and on her right arm hung Blatschle's Mary
Ann, called the Flambeau Mary Ann,--a poor unfortunate girl the whole
left side of whose face, from the forehead to the chin, was blue, just
as if there were clotted blood beneath the skin. At the great fire
which happened eighteen years before, and where seven men lost their
lives, Mary Ann's mother had hurried up, and on seeing the flames had
passed her hand over her face in great fear and fright. When her child
was born, one-half of its face was blue. Tony always had a certain
horror of Mary Ann; but she did not like to hurt her feelings by going
away. So she went on, trembling inwardly, but singing the louder to
regain the mastery over herself.

Near the manor-house farmer's house the gamekeeper came up with the
party on his return from Horb. On seeing Tony he blushed up to the
eyes, and lifted his gun off his shoulder a little, sinking it again
immediately, and, turning toward Tony, he said, "Good-evening, girls."

A few returned the salutation, and he said, in a low voice, to Tony,
"May I walk with you now?"

"No, no! that will never do," said Tony, no louder than he had spoken:
"go and walk with the boys, just to oblige me."

The gamekeeper was delighted, and, with a polite bow, he walked on.

At the Eagle there was, a general halt. The curfew sounded, and the
boys, with their heads uncovered, mumbled a paternoster: the girls did
the same; and then all crossed themselves.

But as soon as this was done the jokes and laughter were resumed. The
gamekeeper said, "Good-night, all," and went on his way. The girls
teased Tony about him, and said he had whispered to her. Sepper, who
heard this, suddenly grew stark and stiff: the pipe which he was
lifting to his mouth remained in the convulsive grasp of his one hand,
while his other fist clenched, and his eyes, which stared upon Tony,
shot forth fierce and angry thoughts. Then again he swung proudly on
his knees, and only once cast his head backward in something of
disdain.

When all separated, Sepper went with Tony to her father's house. He was
silent a while, and then said,--

"What are you carrying on with the gamek