r,' she whispered. 'It is unpleasant, but she will soon
recover. I know--the nerves, yes, the nerves!' And she sat down on the
girl's bed. She looked strangely grotesque and weird, in her enormous
black cap with bright orange-colored bows.

"Anna Maria and Klaus were just going down the front steps to the
dancing-ground, and he had his arm around her. When they saw me they
turned around. Klaus looked troubled, and in Anna Maria's eyes there
were traces of tears.

"'You will see her to-day, yet,' I said to him, consolingly. He pressed
my hand, and sighed.

"'He is only going to stay till to-morrow, aunt," Anna Maria informed
me; 'he only came on Susanna's account.' She spoke pleasantly, and
looked up at him with a smile.

"'Alas, alas!' said Klaus, 'affairs are so involved there; but I just
wanted to see how such an engagement is good-for-nothing without having
once expressed one's self in words. Anything written sounds so cold,
doesn't it? It seemed so to me! And then I am glad that I have come, for
Susanna's health does not seem to be quite firm yet. I will speak with
the doctor, and after the wedding will go south with her.' A very
anxious expression lay on his countenance.

"'Poor Klaus, such a reception!' bewailed Anna Maria. 'I do not
understand it, either; Susanna was so suddenly seized; she was just
seeming so bright again.'

"'You must not let her dance,' said he in reproof.

"'Oh, the kobold was between them before we could prevent it,' I joked.

"'Stuermer dances so madly,' remarked Klaus.

"Meanwhile we had arrived at the scene of festivities. The dancers were
still floating gayly about there; Stuermer was leaning, with folded arms,
against a tree, and was apparently out of humor. As soon as the people
discovered their master, he was received with a storm of greetings, for
they were all waiting to welcome him. Klaus spoke a few words to them,
and then would have withdrawn, but that was not permitted; he had to
dance with the upper housemaid. With a half-amiable, half-morose
expression, he took a few turns with the girl, who blushed red at the
joy and honor.

"Anna Maria had seated herself in one of the chairs under the trees;
Edwin was standing before her, and a happy smile was on her lips. The
rays of the setting sun glimmered over her fair head and tinged her face
with a warm color.

"She looked wonderfully pretty at this moment; Stuermer looked
meditatively down at her. I thought of everythin