fuse an enchanting perfume. Three years before at a jurists' ball,
when Henrietta and Szilard met for the first time, he had given her a
bouquet, among the flowers of which was one of these green-gold leaves,
and when she got home she had planted it in a jar and it had taken root,
spread its shoots abroad and grown larger and larger every year. And
Henrietta had called it Szilard and watched over its growth and cared
for it as if it had been a living human creature. For a long time she
stood before this flowering plant as if she would have spoken to it and
taken counsel of it. At last she turned away and with her hands behind
her head, she walked slowly up and down the room, and as often as she
paused before the vase, she behaved like one whose heart is breaking.
But time was hastening on, an hour is so short when one would have it
stay. Alas! nowhere was there any help, any refuge. She was abandoned.
She had nothing in the world but this one flowering plant which she
called Szilard. And the moments swiftly galloping after one another
called for a decision. There must be an end to it. Once more she
approached her darling plant and kissed all the leaves of its beautiful
flowers one by one. And now there came a knock at the door. Mr.
Demetrius's messenger had come and a cold shudder ran through the girl's
tender frame. "I am coming!" she cried. The next moment not a tear was
to be seen on her face, nay, not a trace of sorrow, or fear, but only
snow-white tranquillity.

All the members of the family were assembled together again in
grandpapa's room. Mr. Sipos was also present, he had been told all about
the business.

"Well my dear little grandchild," said Mr. Demetrius, motioning
Henrietta to take her place at the table with the others, "have you made
up your mind?"

"I have."

"Veil or myrtle wreath?"

"I will be married."

"To the baron?"

"Yes," replied the girl in a strangely calm and courageous tone, "but I
also have my conditions to impose."

"Let us hear them."

"In the first place I must be sure that my brother Koloman will not be
persecuted. I suppose you will not let him come with me?"

"No, that one thing cannot be allowed."

"But I cannot let him remain here. Send him to some other town. You are
always talking of your rank and riches, give him an education to
correspond."

The child in those two hours had grown older by ten years, she now spoke
to the other members of the family with the air o