nearer he felt the time of parting approach, the happier became
the look on his face; he went almost too quickly for her.

"What is the matter with you, Reinhard?" she asked.

"I have a secret, a beautiful secret," said Reinhard, looking at her
with a light in his eyes. "When I come back again in two years' time,
then you shall know it."

Meanwhile they had reached the stage-coach; they were only just in
time. Once more Reinhard took her hand. "Farewell!" he said,
"farewell, Elisabeth! Do not forget!"

She shook her head. "Farewell," she said. Reinhard climbed up into the
coach and the horses started. As the coach rumbled round the corner of
the street he saw her dear form once more as she slowly wended her way
home.

* * * * *

A LETTER

Nearly two years later Reinhard was sitting by lamplight with his
books and papers around him, expecting a friend with whom he used to
study in common. Some one came upstairs. "Come in." It was the
landlady. "A letter for you, Herr Werner," and she went away.

Reinhard had never written to Elisabeth since his visit home, and he
had received no letter from her. Nor was this one from her; it was in
his mother's handwriting.

Reinhard broke the seal and read, and ere long he came to this
paragraph:

"At your time of life, my dear boy, nearly every year still brings its
own peculiar experience; for youth is apt to turn everything to the
best account. At home, too, things have changed very much, and all
this will, I fear, cause you much pain at first, if my understanding
of you is at all correct.

"Yesterday Eric was at last accepted by Elisabeth, after having twice
proposed in vain during the last three months. She had never been able
to make up her mind to it, but now in the end she has done so. To my
mind she is still far too young. The wedding is to take place soon,
and her mother means to go away with them."

* * * * *

IMMENSEE

Again years have passed. One warm afternoon in spring a young man,
whose sunburnt face was the picture of health, was walking along a
shady road through the wood leading down to the valley below.

His grave dark eyes looked intently into the distance, as though he
was expecting to find every moment some change in the monotony of the
road, a change however which seemed reluctant to come about. At length
he saw a cart slowly coming up from below.

"Hullo! my