think that
Christmas Day is different from any other day, and pleased to observe
that the younger folk, at least, cherish the delusion.

But just before reaching the church I say to the small lady who got the
letter in the morning, and whom we generally call Tita:

"When do you expect to see Charlie?"

"I don't know," she answers. "After this cruel affair he won't like to
go about much."

"You remember that he promised to go with us to the Black Forest?"

"Yes; and I am sure it will be a pleasant trip for him."

"Shall we go to Huferschingen?"

"I suppose so."

"Franziska is a pretty girl."

Now you would not think that any great mischief could be done by the
mere remark that Franziska was a pretty girl. Anybody who had seen
Franziska Fahler, niece of the proprietor of the "Goldenen Bock" in
Huferschingen, would admit that in a moment. But this is nevertheless
true, that our important but diminutive Queen Tita was very thoughtful
during the rest of our walk to this little church; and in church, too,
she was thinking so deeply that she almost forgot to look at the effect
of the decorations she had nailed up the day before. Yet nothing could
have offended in the bare observation that Franziska was a pretty girl.

At dinner in the evening we had our two guests and a few young fellows
from London who did not happen to have their families or homes there.
Curiously enough, there was a vast deal of talk about travelling, and
also about Baden, and more particularly about the southern districts
of Baden. Tita said the Black Forest was the most charming place in the
world; and as it was Christmas Day, and as we had been listening to
a sermon all about charity and kindness and consideration for others,
nobody was rude enough to contradict her. But our forbearance was put to
a severe test when, after dinner, she produced a photographic album and
handed it round, and challenged everybody to say whether the young lady
in the corner was not absolutely lovely. Most of them said that she was
certainly very nice-looking; and Tita seemed a little disappointed.

I perceived that it would no longer do to say that Franziska was a
pretty girl. We should henceforth have to swear by everything we held
dear that she was absolutely lovely.

II--ZUM "GOLDENEN BOCK"

We felt some pity for the lad when we took him abroad with us; but it
must be confessed that at first he was not a very desirable travelling
companion. There was