o has lost everything when he
has lost himself.

He returned home late in the evening; and at night he dreamed that he
was struggling in the midst of the floods of the Rhine, and he, the
strong swimmer, was not able to contend against the waves.

He shrieked, but a steam-tug drowned his cry, and the helmswoman of a
boat looked down upon him with contempt--and all at once it was not the
helmswoman, but a maiden form with wings and two brightly-gleaming
eyes.

CHAPTER X.

THE GUARDIAN AND HELPER.

Early in the morning, a carriage from Wolfsgarten came for Aunt
Claudine and the parrot.

For the thirty years since her marriage with the Professor, Frau
Dournay had not passed a day without her sister-in-law; now, for the
first time, she was letting her go from her. It seemed to both of them
hardly conceivable that they could live apart from each other, but it
had been decided upon, and must be.

Sonnenkamp was most politely attentive; he charged the Aunt to consider
his house her home, and not to remain more than a few days as a guest
at Wolfsgarten. He gave a basket full of carefully-covered grapes and
bananas into the coachman's charge; the parrot's cage was on the seat
near Aunt Claudine.

The parrot screamed and scolded as they drove off, and kept it up all
the way, not liking, apparently, to leave Villa Sonnenkamp.

Herr Sonnenkamp proposed a drive to the Professorin, to help her forget
the parting, but she answered, that not by diversion but by quiet
reflection, can we compose and reconcile ourselves to the inevitable.
Roland looked at her in surprise; these wore Eric's thoughts, almost
his very words.

Several days passed quietly at the villa, which was hardly quitted even
for visits to the vine-covered cottage. Bella's visit had brought a
disquiet to the house, which still hung over them all, and they
realized it afresh as they constantly missed the Aunt; Bella had taken
something which seemed an essential part of their life. And besides,
the house was again without any sound of music.

Eric and Roland were more industrious than ever, for the Mother had
asked if she might not be with them in the study-hours, saying that she
had never heard any of Eric's teaching. Eric knew that she wished to
help him to keep a strict guard over himself; for though not a word had
been said, she felt that something must have passed between him and
Bella. And s