ken ill, and required the presence of
his granddaughter. It was evident, at a glance, that he was on his
death bed.

"Adelaide," said he, "forgive me, before I die, that I may depart in
peace."

"Forgive you, dear grandfather! am I not deeply indebted to you?"

"I should have reposed more confidence in you; I should have spoken to
you about your parents."

"My father?" asked Adelaide.

"Was a brave and good man. But of your mother--your good mother--she
was--"

Here a spasm interrupted his utterance, and he lay back on his pillow
gasping for breath. After a brief space he seemed to revive again, and
made strong efforts to express himself, but his breath failed him. He
motioned to Adelaide to fetch him writing materials, and while she
held a sheet of paper on a book before him, he essayed with feeble
fingers to trace a sentence with a pen. But the rapid approach of
death foiled all his endeavors to communicate a secret that evidently
lay close to his heart; and while the young girl bent over him in an
agony of grief, he gently sighed away his last. The baron and baroness
found their _protegee_, an hour afterwards, still sorrowing by the
bedside of her early friend and protector. With gentle violence they
removed her from the chamber of death, and took her home to the
castle, where they gave directions to the proper persons to take
charge of the old soldier's remains, and inter them with that decent
respect which was due to his character and station. Among his effects
was found a will, in which he made Adelaide his heiress, bequeathing
to her his little landed estate, and a small sum in gold, the produce
of his toil and frugality. This event cast a gloom over the spirits of
the young maiden, from which, however, her religious persuasions, the
attention of her friends, and the elasticity of her youth, eventually
relieved her.

The old castle on the Rhine was gay once more, when Rudolph Ernstein,
a nephew of the baron, a gay young captain of hussars, whose
gallantry and beauty had given him reputation at Vienna, came to pay a
long visit to his uncle. He was a high-spirited and accomplished young
man, had served with distinction, was a devoted admirer of the ladies,
and one of those military Adonises who are born to conquest. He was
charmed to find domesticated beneath the old roof tree so fair and
lovable a girl as Adelaide, and of course did his best to render his
society agreeable to her. He sang to her songs of