im a pitiful allowance of three hundred florins a year, to keep
him from starving.

Thus it was, too, that Anna's words came true, and the man despised and
rejected of all the world sought refuge in the house where he had been
tenderly nurtured as a child. Thus did he return, vanquished in life's
battle, to have his wounds bound by the hands of those he had so
grievously wronged, and to beg a place in that family circle into which
he had done his utmost to bring sorrow and despair.

Manasseh met the police officer at the door, and heard his announcement
with perfect composure.

"We have no objection to raise," said he, "against the decree of the
government. Benjamin Vajdar was formerly a member of our family, and so
we must provide for him. The state allowance of twenty-five florins a
month we beg leave to refuse. In our iron works there is a bookkeeper's
position open to this man, and we shall ask him to assume its duties.
Indeed, we shall ourselves probably be the gainers by this arrangement,
as the keeping of our books has become too heavy a burden for my wife,
and she will be glad to be relieved. But enough of this at present;
to-morrow we will discuss the matter more at length. Meanwhile Mr.
Vajdar is welcome to our house."

Benjamin Vajdar's emotions can better be imagined than described. To
find himself called upon to lighten Blanka Zboroy's duties and to live
in constant sight of her happy home life, after all he had done in the
vain attempt to spoil that life, was more than he had counted on. He bit
his compressed lips till the blood ran. Opening the door of the chamber
into which he had been ushered, he hurried out to seek the freedom of
the open air and to set his confused thoughts in order. On his way his
attention was caught by an unexpected sight. Through an open door he had
a full view of a bier, on which rested a coffin, and in the latter, with
hands folded on her bosom, lay the woman he had most cruelly wronged. In
those clasped hands he saw a little picture wreathed in evergreen,--his
own likeness, which the dead girl had begged her family to bury with
her. Now, if never before, the unhappy man saw what a wealth of love he
had cast aside, a love that, even in death caused by his base desertion,
could forgive him his perfidy and carry his picture in a fond embrace
down to the grave. As his guardian angel, she would bear it with her up
to God's throne, and there plead his cause. Overcome at last by a