a chopin of white wine. Ziska's uncle and aunt were both
large, stout, and somnolent people, very good-natured and kind, but a
trifle dull. Ziska really had the management of the place, and she was
not slow to lend a hand if the servants were remiss in waiting on us.
But that, it was understood, was done out of compliment to our small
Queen Tita.

By-and-by we sat down to dinner, and Franziska came to see that
everything was going on straight. It was a dinner "with scenery." You
forgot to be particular about the soup, the venison, and the Affenthaler
when from the window at your elbow you could look across the narrow
valley and behold a long stretch of the Black Forest shining in the red
glow of the sunset. The lower the sun sank the more intense became the
crimson light on the tall stems of the pines; and then you could see the
line of shadow slowly rising up the side of the opposite hill until only
the topmost trees were touched with fire. Then these too lost it, and
all the forest around us seemed to have a pale-blue mist stealing over
it as the night fell and the twilight faded out of the sky overhead.
Presently the long undulations of fir grew black, the stars came out,
and the sound of the stream could be heard distantly in the hollow; and
then, at Tita's wish, we went off for a last stroll in among the soft
moss and under the darkness of the pines, now and again starting some
great capercailzie, and sending it flying and whirring down the glades.

When we returned from that prowl into the forest, we found the inn dark.
Such people as may have called in had gone home; but we suspected that
Franziska had given the neighbours a hint not to overwhelm us on our
first arrival. When we entered the big room, Franziska came in with
candles; then she brought some matches, and also put on the table an odd
little pack of cards, and went out. Her uncle and aunt had, even before
we went out, come and bade us good-night formally, and shaken hands all
round. They are early folk in the Black Forest.

"Where has that girl gone now?" says Charlie. "Into that lonely
billiard-room! Couldn't you ask her to come in here? Or shall we go and
play billiards?"

Tita stares, and then demurely smiles; but it is with an assumed
severity that she rebukes him for such a wicked proposal, and reminds
him that he must start early next morning. He groans assent. Then she
takes her leave.

The big young man was silent for a moment or two, with