threshold and looked in with eager eyes. It looked
exceedingly cosy and home-like, this low room, pleasantly lighted by
the lamp; and a beautiful hunting hound sprang up, whining with joy at
sight of his master, whom he had not seen for the whole day. She
entered, still holding his hand, in a sort of trembling happiness.

"Oh, what a beautiful dog! And there is your writing-table, and that is
the book-case, and what a dear old face that is in the gold frame. Is
it your mother, Frank? Yes, I thought she must look like that. And what
a pretty tea-table set for two! Oh, dearest!" And the proud spoiled
child of luxury lay weeping on his breast.

[Illustration: "The proud spoiled child of luxury lay weeping in his
arms.]

"Here--it shall remain as it is, Frank--here it is warm and bright; no
bitter word can ever be spoken here."

"Don't think of it any more," he whispered, comfortingly. "We have left
all evil behind us. We are owners here, and we will have nothing but
peace and love in our household."

"Yes," she said, smiling through her tears, "you are right. What have
we to do with the outer world?"

They were standing together in front of his writing-table. A majolica
vase stood on it filled with spring flowers.

"What an exquisite scent of violets!" she whispered, drawing in a long
breath, and freeing herself from his arms.

A card lay among the flowers. Both hands were extended for it at once.

_Heartiest congratulations on your marriage, from_

C. Wolff, Agent.

"How did you happen to know him? _Why_ should he send that?" asked her
eyes.

But he threw the card carelessly on the table and kissed her on the
forehead.

CHAPTER X.

Spring is delicious when one is happy. The trees in the Niendorf garden
put out their leaves one by one, a green veil hung over the budding
forests, and violets were blooming everywhere; Gertrude's whole domain
was filled with the scent of the blue children of spring. The voice of
the young wife sounded through the old house like the note of a lark,
and when Frank returned all sunburned from the fields, a white
handkerchief waved from the shining windows upstairs, and when he
reached the court it was fluttering in her hand on the topmost step.

"You have come at last, dearest," she would cry then.

And the walks in the woods, the evenings when he read aloud, and then
the furnishing the house! How sweet it was t