said, 'Pshaw!'--but to him it
was a rare delight. Just at the gates he had met her, out walking with
two of her young companions, and all three of them had roses in their
hands. Just as he rode by, and bowed, his horse had given a jump, and
the young lady had been so startled that she dropped a rose: 'I saw
it,' said Master Ernest, 'and in a moment I was out of my saddle, and
had picked it up and given it her; and she thanked me very kindly, and
walked away towards the woods.'"

"'And you rode on, and the lady did not even give you a rose for your
reward? Any other man would have picked up the flower, and stuck it in
his buttonhole, and galloped off in triumph.'

"He looked at me, and seemed quite struck; 'Flor,' says he; 'I do
believe you know more of these things than I, although you are a
woman.'

"'More likely, _because_ I am a woman. Master Ernest,' I said. 'Well,
well, I see, the young lady is badly off for mother-wit, or else she
can't abide you.'

"Of course I was only joking; for how could I think the girl existed
who would not like him? But for all that, it made him silent, and I saw
that he really thought she did dislike him.

"Only once again did he ride over to X, and after that he stayed at
home, and was quite downhearted; he spoke to nobody, but sat in his
room writing--verses, as I believe,--and played the flute, and pined
away so, that when Count Henry came back, he was quite angry about his
looks, and scolded him, and told him he did not take exercise enough,
and he asked me if Count Ernest had been ailing? That he had a
heartache I did not like to say--he never would have forgiven me, and
Count Henry would have laughed. At last it was decided that our young
count was to travel for a time with Mr. Leclerc, and both of them
seemed to like the plan. 'Flor,' said my boy, 'it is well that I leave
this place. Life is become wearisome to me.'

"'God bless you, my dearest boy,' I said; 'the world is so beautiful,
they say, that I suppose one can't long be sad in travelling.'

"He looked at me with an unbelieving smile; but afterwards he wrote to
me from Vienna, that he was well, and often thought of me. God knows! I
thought of him, day and night.

"I did not get a sight of him again for three long years, and when he
wrote to me from the great cities where he went to court, among all the
fine folks--he will get properly spoiled, I thought, as befits his
rank. I shall not know him again. But just the