he tall, powerful young man, with his high fisherman's boots, dangling
in the air, and yet her heart quails, when he alights close beside her.

"I have long wished to tell you how much I feel obliged to you," said
Adam.

"Why? for what?"

"For staying so long with my mother, and enduring so much."

"I am a servant, and receive wages, so I ought in return to bear a good
deal, and your mother has her own burden to bear, for she is angry with
our Heavenly Father, because your brother was killed by a falling tree.
She has no love either for God or her fellow-creatures, but she only
makes herself miserable."

Adam looked at her kindly; but suddenly he lifted up his oar abruptly,
exclaiming, "I must be off: good bye!" He sprang into the brook, making
the water splash above his head, pushing the raft, which had been
stopped by a bend in the stream, vigorously forward into the centre of
the current. Martina looked after him in astonishment. What is the
matter with Adam? He is quickly out of sight, and is presently heard
shouting at a distance, with the other bargemen, and then all is still
again.

For weeks Adam never spoke one word to Martina, indeed he scarcely
seemed to notice her--but in autumn--both cows and oxen pasture at that
season in the meadows--Martina was passing along, and descending the
hill--there being no spring close to the house on the level ground, the
water for drinking must be fetched from half way down the hill--when,
suddenly, she saw a bull erect its head and begin to paw the ground. It
was a fine sight to see the heavy animal tossing its horns, but the
herdboy called out, "Save yourself, Martina, or you will be tossed by
the bull."

Martina uttered a shrill scream, and turned to run away, hiding her
face, but fell down. She could hear the snorting animal close to her,
when, all at once, he lay stretched on the ground, bellowing. Adam had
rushed up, seized the animal by the horns, and held down his head, till
some of the farm-servants came up, and helped to bind him.

Martina is saved, but Adam only said, "The next time that you go
through the meadow, don't wear a scarlet handkerchief on your head."

Adam was covered with blood, and Martina asked, "For heaven's sake tell
me, have you been hurt by the bull?"

"Oh, pray make no fuss, it is nothing; the bull was bleeding at the
mouth, and so he sprinkled me with blood. Go now, and fetch the water;"
so saying, he turned away, and went to a pon