ld sooner
die than render you miserable."

She laid her head on my shoulder, to conceal her tears. "Should thy
fate be changed," she said, "I only wish to know that thou art happy;
if thy condition is an unhappy one, I will share it with thee, and
assist thee to support it."

"Minna, Minna!" I exclaimed, "recall those rash words--those mad
words which have escaped thy lips! Didst thou know the misery and
curse--didst thou know who--what--thy lover----Seest thou not, my
Minna, this convulsive shuddering, which thrills my whole frame, and
that there is a secret in my breast which you cannot penetrate?" She
sank sobbing at my feet, and renewed her vows and entreaties.

Her father now entered, and I declared to him my intention to solicit
the hand of his daughter on the first day of the month after the
ensuing one. I fixed that time, I told him, because circumstances might
probably occur in the interval materially to influence my future
destiny; but my love for his daughter was unchangeable.

The good old man started at hearing such words from the mouth of Count
Peter. He fell upon my neck, and rose again in the utmost confusion for
having forgotten himself. Then he began to doubt, to ponder, and to
scrutinise; and spoke of dowry, security, and future provision for his
beloved child. I thanked him for having reminded me of all this, and
told him it was my wish to remain in a country where I seemed to be
beloved, and to lead a life free from anxiety. I then commissioned him
to purchase the finest estate in the neighbourhood in the name of his
daughter,--for a father was the best person to act for his daughter in
such a case,--and to refer for payment to me. This occasioned him a
good deal of trouble, as a stranger had everywhere anticipated him; but
at last he made a purchase for about 150,000_l_.

I confess this was but an innocent artifice to get rid of him, as I had
frequently done before; for it must be confessed that he was somewhat
tedious. The good mother was rather deaf, and not jealous, like her
husband, of the honour of conversing with the count.

The happy party pressed me to remain with them longer this evening. I
dared not--I had not a moment to lose. I saw the rising moon streaking
the horizon--my hour was come.

[Illustration: Next Evening, I went to the foresters ... She raised her
head and looked at me and started involuntarily.]

Next evening I went again to the forester's garden. I had wrapped