son in their pleasures," said the
Judge. "Now it gives me no pleasure at all that you should sit up at
night ruining your eyes on account of a miserable novel;--if there were
a fire here I would burn the rubbish!"

"It would be a great deal better," returned Elise, mildly, "if you went
to bed and said your prayers piously, rather than thought about such an
_auto-da-fe_. How have you amused yourself at the Governor's?"

"You want now to be mixing the cards," said he. "Look at me, Elise; you
are pale; your pulse is excited! Say my prayers, indeed! I have a great
mind to give you a lecture, that I have! Is it reasonable--is it
prudent--to sit up at night and become pale and sleepless, in order to
write what is good for nothing? It really makes me quite angry that you
can be so foolish, so childish! It certainly is worth while your going
to baths, sending to the east and to the west to consult physicians, and
giving oneself all kind of trouble to regain your health, when you go
and do every possible thing you can in the world to destroy it!"

"Do not be angry, Ernst," besought Elise; "do not look so stern on me
to-night, Ernst; no, not to-night."

"Yes, indeed!" replied he, but in a tone which had become at once
milder, "because it is two-and-thirty years to-day since you came into
the world, do you think that you have a right to be absolutely
childish?"

"Put that down to my account," said Elise, smiling, yet with a tear in
her eye.

"Put it down! put it down!" repeated the Judge. "Yes, I suppose so.
People go on putting down neck or nothing till it's a pretty fool's
business. I should like to pack all novels and novel-writers out of the
world together! The world never will be wise till that is done; nor will
you either. In the mean time, however, it is as well that I have found
you awake, else I must have woke you to prove that you cannot conceal
from me, not even for once, how old you are. Here then is the punishment
for your bad intention."

"Ah! Walter Scott's romances!" exclaimed Elise, receiving a set of
volumes from her husband; "and such a magnificent edition! Thanks!
thanks! you good, best Ernst! But you are a beautiful lawgiver; you
promote the very things which you condemn!"

"Promise me, only," returned he, "not to spend the night in reading or
writing novels. Think only how precious your health is to so many of us!
Do you think I should be so provoked, if you were less dear to me? Do
you comprehend t