lace it unexpectedly on the bare head of the stranger. The wreath was
speedily got ready, but no one of the girls, not even Lina, ventured to
complete the strange proposal.

Meanwhile Eric was sitting amidst the circle of ladies, and he
expressed his sincere envy of those persons who live among such
beautiful natural scenery; they might not always be conscious of it,
but it had a bracing influence upon the spirit, and there was a keen
sense of loss when removed into less interesting scenes. No one
ventured to make any reply, until Bella remarked,--"Praise of the
landscape in which we live is a sort of flattery to us, as if we
ourselves, our dress, our house, or anything belonging to us, should be
praised."

All assented, although it was not evident whether Bella had expressed
approval or disapproval. Then she asked Eric concerning his mother, and
as if incidentally, but not without emphasis, alluded to the sudden
death of her brother, Baron von Burgholz. Those present knew now that
Eric was of partially noble descent. Bella spoke so easily that
speaking seemed a wholly secondary matter to her, while seeing and
being seen were the things of real importance. She hardly moved a
feature in speaking, scarcely even the lips, and only in smiling
exhibited a full row of small white teeth.

Bella knew that Eric was looking at her attentively while he spoke, and
composedly as if she stood before a mirror, she offered her face to his
gaze. She then introduced Eric, in the most friendly way, to the
agreeable head-forester's wife, a fine singer, asking at the same time
if he still kept up his singing; he replied that he had been for some
years out of practice.

The evening was unusually sultry, and the air was close and hot over
mountain and valley.

A thunder storm was coming up in the distance. They discussed whether
they should wait for the storm at Wolfsgarten or return home
immediately. "If the gentlemen were only here to decide." The pleasant
forester's lady confessed that she was afraid of a thunder storm.

"Then you and your sister are in sympathy," said Eric.

"O," said the sister, "I am not at all afraid."

"Excuse me; I did not mean you, but the beautiful songstress dwelling
here in the thicket. Do you not notice that Mrs. Nightingale, who sang
so spiritedly a few moments since, is now suddenly dumb?" All were very
merry over this remark, and now each told what she did with herself
during a thunder storm.

"I