ve it
presently to his daughter.

But that evening perhaps he forgot it altogether: he had been drinking
rather heavily of late. And the next day he was stricken down with
paralysis, his tongue refused him service, and he no longer could tell
his daughter--as no doubt he wanted to do--that a letter had come for
her and that it was in the pocket of his bunda.

And the bunda was thrust away into the dower-chest with the husks of
maize and the cabbage-stalks, and it had never been taken out until
to-night--the eve of Elsa's wedding-day.

She tore open the envelope now with fingers that trembled slightly. The
light was very dim, and where the glorious sunset had been such a little
while ago there was only the dull grey canopy of an overcast sky. But
Elsa could just make out the writing: already her eye had wandered to
the signature, "your ever-devoted Andor." The message seemed to come to
her as from the grave, for she thought that these were probably Andor's
last words to her, penned just before he died in that awful hospital in
Bosnia.

"My sweet dove!" she read. "This is to tell you that I
am well: although it has been a close fight between
life and death for me. But I did so want to live, my
sweetheart, for I have you to look forward to in life.
I have been at death's door, and I believe that the
doctor here, before he went away one evening, signed
the paper to say that I was dead. But that same night I
took a turn for the better, and it was wonderful how
soon I was up again. I'll tell you all about it some
day, my love, some day when I come to claim your
promise that you would wait for me. Because, dear
heart, while I have been ill I have been thinking very
seriously. I have not a silver florin to bless myself
with: how can I come and dare to ask you to be my wife?
Your father and mother would kick me out of their
house, they would forbid me to see you; they would part
you from me, my dear, beautiful angel, and I should
feel that it was just. I--a good-for-nothing, penniless
lout, daring to approach the queen of beauty, the most
exquisite girl on God's earth. I have thought it all
over, dear heart, and all will be well if you will be
true to me--if you will wait for me another two years.
Oh! I do not ask you to do it, I am not worthy of your
love. Who am I, that you should keep yourself for