teach you."

For this promise Marie ran to Fraeulein Lotti and embraced her.

While at dinner Marie suddenly remembered that she had not yet seen the
little water-monster, and inquired about him.

The baroness told her that the boy had gone back to his fish companions
in the lake; then asked: "But where did you ever see the creature?"

Marie hesitated a moment before replying; a natural modesty forbade her
from confessing to Ludwig's betrothed wife that he had taught her how to
swim, and had always accompanied her on her swimming excursions in his
canoe.

"I saw him once with you in the park, when I was looking through the
telescope," she answered, with some confusion.

"Ah! then you also have been spying upon me?" jestingly exclaimed the
baroness.

"How else could I have learned that you are so good and beautiful?"
frankly returned the young girl.

"Ah, I have an idea," suddenly observed the baroness. "That spy-glass is
here now. The surveyor to whom Ludwig gave it sent it to me when he had
done with it. Come, we will pay Herr Ludwig back in his own coin! We
will spy out what the gentlemen are doing over at the castle."

Marie was charmed with this suggestion, and willingly accompanied her
"little mama" to the veranda, where the familiar telescope greeted her
sight.

Two of the windows in that side of the Nameless Castle which faced the
manor were lighted.

"That is the dining-room; they are at dinner," explained Marie,
adjusting the glass--a task of which the baroness was ignorant. When she
had arranged the proper focus, she made room for Katharina, who had a
better right than she had to watch Ludwig.

"What do you see?" she asked, when Katharina began to smile.

"I see Ludwig and the vice-palatine; they are leaning out of the window,
and smoking--"

"Smoking?" interposed Marie. "Ludwig never smokes."

"See for yourself!"

Katharina stepped back, and Marie placed her eye to the glass. Yes;
there, plainly enough, she beheld the remarkable sight: Ludwig, with
evident enjoyment, drawing great clouds of smoke from a long-stemmed
pipe. The two men were talking animatedly; but even while they were
speaking, the pipes were not removed from their lips--Ludwig, indeed, at
times vanished entirely behind the dense cloud of smoke.

"For six whole years he never once let me see him smoking a pipe!"
murmured Marie to herself. "How much he enjoys it! Do you"--turning
abruptly toward the baroness, who was smili