s I spoke.

"Why not, mamma?" said Reggie curiously. I had not noticed that he and
his sister were listening to us. "They're not here _now_--not those
naughty monks."

"No, of course not," agreed practical Nora. "Mamma only means that it
is a pity such a beautiful big house as this must have been _had_ to
be pulled down--such a waste when there are so many poor people in the
world with miserable, little, stuffy houses, or none at all even! That
was what you meant; wasn't it, mamma?"

"It is always a pity--the worst of pities--when people are wicked,
wherever they are," I replied.

"But _all_ monks are not bad," remarked Nora consolingly. "Think of the
Great St. Bernard ones, with their dogs."

And on Reggie's inquiring mind demanding further particulars on the
subject, she walked on with him somewhat in front of the rest of us, a
happy little pair in the sunshine.

"Lutz," said his father, "you cannot be too careful what you say before
children; they are often shocked or frightened by so little. Though
yours are such healthy-minded little people," he added, turning to me,
"it is not likely anything undesirable would make any impression on
them."

I particularly remember this little incident.

It turned out a long walk to Silberbach, the longest we had yet
attempted. Hitherto Herr von Walden had been on known ground, and
thoroughly acquainted with the roads, the distances, and all necessary
particulars; but it was the first time he had explored beyond Seeberg,
and before we had accomplished more than half the journey, he began to
feel a little alarm at the information given us by the travellers we
came across at long intervals "coming from," not "going to St. Ives!"
For the farther we went the greater seemed to be the distance we had to
go!

"An hour or thereabouts," grew into "two," or even "three" hours; and at
last, on a peculiarly stupid countryman assuring us we would scarcely
reach our destination before nightfall, our conductor's patience broke
down altogether.

"Idiots!" he exclaimed. "But I cannot stand this any longer. I will
hasten on and see for myself; and if, as I expect, we are really not
very far from Silberbach, it will be all the better for me to find out
the 'Katze,' and see that everything is ready for your arrival."

Frau von Walden seemed a little inclined to protest, but I begged her
not to do so, seeing that three able-bodied protectors still remained to
us, and that it probably was