d that he knew it well.

"Now you must go to bed early, so as not to oversleep in the morning;
the carriage will be here at daybreak."

To go to bed is only too easy, but to fall asleep is difficult when one
is still a child, and has received a promise of being taken to the
country. We had a beautiful and pleasant country property, not far from
town; my brother was as fond as I was of being there. Mother and
grandmother never came with us. Why, we knew not; they said they did not
like the country. We were indeed surprised at this. Not to like the
country--to wander in the fields, on flowery meadows; to breathe the
precious perfumed air; to gather round one the beautiful, sagacious, and
useful domestic animals? Can there be any one in the world who does not
love that? Child, I know there is none.

My brother was all excitement for the chase. How he would enter forest
and reeds! what beautiful green-necked wild duck he would shoot. How
many multi-colored birds' eggs he would bring home to me.

"I will go with you, too," I said.

"No; some ill might befall you. You can remain at home in the garden to
angle in the brook, and catch tiny little fishes."

"And we shall cook them for dinner." What a splendid idea! Long, long we
remained awake; first Lorand, then I, was struck by some idea which had
to be mentioned; and so each prevented the other from sleeping. Oh! how
great the gladness that awaited us on the morrow!

Late in the night a noise as of fire arms awoke me. It is true that I
always dreamed of guns. I had seen Lorand at the chase, and feared he
would shoot himself.

"What have you shot, Lorand?" I asked half asleep.

"Remain quite still," said my brother, who was lying in the bed near me,
and had risen at the noise. "I shall see what has happened outside."
With these words he went out.

Several rooms divided our bedroom from that of our parents. I heard no
sound except the opening of doors here and there.

Soon Lorand returned. He told me merely to sleep on peacefully--a high
wind had risen and had slammed to a window that had remained open; the
glass was all broken into fragments; that had caused the great noise.

And therewith he proceeded to dress.

"Why are you dressing?"

"Well, the broken window must be mended with something to prevent the
draught coming in; it is in mother's bedroom. You can sleep on
peacefully."

Then he placed his hand on my head, and that hand was like ice.

"Is it cold