"I am not certain whether I
had better tell the young man that I have discovered his hope; but I
shall be forced to forbid his visiting me, which will be the same as
telling the whole world how this delicate affair stands."

"Will you permit me to give you a little advice?" said Mr. Fabian.

"Why not, Fabian, you are my husband, and as such you have the right to
do so."

"Then I would say, drop the subject where it stands."

"Are you not fearful! Do you not shudder at the possibility of an
unpleasant event?"

"O, my dearest Ulgenie, can I for a moment doubt your strength of soul,
your virtue?"

"It is true I am thus strongly armed, and I thank you, my dear Fabian,
for confiding in my faithfulness."--As was usual a few cheering
sun-beams followed the cooling shower.--"Forgive me, my dear husband,
for harrowing your feelings; but there are times when even the strongest
minded are weak."

"You are an exception, my love."

These confident words had nearly renewed the vexation within Mistress
Ulrica's bosom; but suddenly she was struck with an idea that caused her
to assume a still more affectionate expression of countenance.

"We will trouble ourselves no more concerning that deeply to be pitied
young man. I have something else which I wish to confide to you."

"Another lover?" inquired Mr. Fabian, widening his eyes.

"I refer to a youth, for whose welfare I am deeply concerned."

"Explain yourself, my dear."

"Fabian, you must not hate him, for the young man does not understand
himself, this I will answer for with my life, and perhaps he only
indulges a platonic affection for one who realizes the romantic ideas
which his youthful imagination had formerly brought forth."

"You do not mean Gottlieb, do you?" inquired Fabian, unsuccessfully
endeavoring to conceal a laugh.

"Fabian, why do you speak so sardonically? If in spite of your
watchfulness, his has, unobserved by you, paid a tribute to your wife's
beauty, you must remember that he did not know he was sinning. It was
merely an accident that made me acquainted with the secret of his
heart."

"Will you permit me to inquire what that accident was?"

"With pleasure. I had--I tell you this in confidence--I had chosen one
of the pastor's daughters as his wife; I invited her to Almvik to-day,
but he avoided her presence. He retired to that solitude which he seeks
every evening either before or after we go out on our drive. A certain
instinctive sentimen