substance, suddenly produces a mass of
crystals. The constituents of those beautiful combinations, you see,
were there; but they wanted some little shock to hasten the slow
process of crystallisation. Now in our social circle we have continually
observed groups of young people floating about in an amorphous and
chaotic fashion--good for nothing but dawdling through dances, and
flirting, and carelessly separating again; but when you dropped Tita
among them, then you would see how rapidly this jellyfish sort of
existence was abolished--how the groups got broken up, and how the
sharp, businesslike relations of marriage were precipitated and made
permanent. But would she own to it? Never! She once went and married
her dearest friend to a Prussian officer; and now she declares he was a
selfish fellow to carry off the girl in that way, and rates him soundly
because he won't bring her to stay with us more than three months out
of the twelve. There are some of us get quite enough of this Prussian
occupation of our territory.

"Well," says Tita to this long English lad, who is lying sprawling on
the grass, "I can safely tell you this, that Franziska likes you very
well."

He suddenly jumps up, and there is a great blush on his face.

"Has she said so?" he asks, eagerly.

"Oh yes! in a way. She thinks you are good-natured. She likes the
English generally. She asked me if that ring you wear was an engaged
ring."

These disconnected sentences were dropped with a tantalising slowness
into Charlie's eager ears.

"I must go and tell her directly that it is not," said he; and he might
probably have gone off at once had not Tita restrained him.

"You must be a great deal more cautious than that if you wish to carry
off Franziska some day or other. If you were to ask her to marry you
now she would flatly refuse you, and very properly; for how could a
girl believe you were in earnest? But if you like, Charlie, I will say
something to her that will give her a hint; and if she cares for you at
all before you go away she won't forget you. I wish I was as sure of you
as I am of her."

"Oh I can answer for myself," says the young man, with a becoming
bashfulness.

Tita was very happy and pleased all that day. There was an air of
mystery and importance about her. I knew what it meant; I had seen it
before.

Alas! poor Charlie!

V--"GAB MIR EIN' RING DABEI"

Under the friendly instructions of Dr. Krumm, whom he no longer r