"May God be with you and with me!--Your son, brother, and friend,

"KARL-LUDWIG SAND."

From that moment his serenity remained untroubled; during the whole
day he talked more gaily than usual, slept well, did not awake until
half-past seven, said that he felt stronger, and thanked God for
visiting him thus.

The nature of the verdict had been known since the day before, and it
had been learned that the execution was fixed for the 20th of May--that
is to say, three full days after the sentence had been read to the
accused.

Henceforward, with Sand's permission, persons who wished to speak to him
and whom he was not reluctant to see, were admitted: three among these
paid him long and noteworthy visits.

One was Major Holzungen, of the Baden army, who was in command of
the patrol that had arrested him, or rather picked him up, dying, and
carried him to the hospital. He asked him whether he recognised him, and
Sand's head was so clear when he stabbed himself, that although he
saw the major only for a moment and had never seen him again since, he
remembered the minutest details of the costume which he had been wearing
fourteen months previously, and which was the full-dress uniform. When
the talk fell upon the death to which Sand was to submit at so early an
age, the major pitied him; but Sand answered, with a smile, "There is
only one difference between you and me, major; it is that I shall die
far my convictions, and you will die for someone else's convictions."

After the major came a young student from Jena whom Sand had known at
the university. He happened to be in the duchy of Baden and wished to
visit him. Their recognition was touching, and the student wept much;
but Sand consoled him with his usual calmness and serenity.

Then a workman asked to be admitted to see Sand, on the plea that he had
been his schoolfellow at Wonsiedel, and although he did not remember his
name, he ordered him to be let in: the workman reminded him that he had
been one of the little army that Sand had commanded on the day of the
assault of St. Catherine's tower. This indication guided Sand, who
recognised him perfectly, and then spoke with tender affection of his
native place and his dear mountains. He further charged him to greet his
family, and to beg his mother, father, brothers, and sisters once more
not to be grieved on his account, since the messenger who undertook to
deliver his last wards could testify in how calm and jo