and burst into tears. Then I saw no one but her,
thought of none but her, and threw my arms round her, and said, "I
love thee!" She pressed her lips to mine, and flung her arms round my
neck; but the lamp had fallen to the ground, and all was dark around
us--dark as in the heart of poor Aphtanides.

Before daybreak he rose, kissed us all, said farewell, and went away.
He had given all his money to my mother for us. Anastasia was my
betrothed, and a few days afterwards she became my wife.

JACK THE DULLARD.

AN OLD STORY TOLD ANEW.

Far in the interior of the country lay an old baronial hall, and in it
lived an old proprietor, who had two sons, which two young men thought
themselves too clever by half. They wanted to go out and woo the
king's daughter; for the maiden in question had publicly announced
that she would choose for her husband that youth who could arrange his
words best.

So these two geniuses prepared themselves a full week for the
wooing--this was the longest time that could be granted them; but it
was enough, for they had had much preparatory information, and
everybody knows how useful that is. One of them knew the whole Latin
dictionary by heart, and three whole years of the daily paper of the
little town into the bargain; and so well, indeed, that he could
repeat it all either backwards or forwards, just as he chose. The
other was deeply read in the corporation laws, and knew by heart what
every corporation ought to know; and accordingly he thought he could
talk of affairs of state, and put his spoke in the wheel in the
council. And he knew one thing more: he could embroider braces with
roses and other flowers, and with arabesques, for he was a tasty,
light-fingered fellow.

"I shall win the princess!" So cried both of them. Therefore their old
papa gave to each a handsome horse. The youth who knew the dictionary
and newspaper by heart had a black horse, and he who knew all about
the corporation laws received a milk-white steed. Then they rubbed the
corners of their mouths with fish-oil, so that they might become very
smooth and glib. All the servants stood below in the courtyard, and
looked on while they mounted their horses; and just by chance the
third son came up. For the proprietor had really three sons, though
nobody counted the third with his brothers, because he was not so
learned as they, and indeed he was generally known as "Jack the
Dullard."

"Hallo!" said Jack the Dullard,