she shrieked, "my own! my beautiful! she is no
more."

"This is worse and worse," said the baron, wringing his hands. "This
will make us all mad."

But at this moment a boat was seen approaching. It was the miller, who
brought with him the body of Adelaide, dripping as it had been drawn
from the water. He laid her fair form upon the bank. The baroness, who
could not be restrained, threw herself beside her, and kissed her pale
lips. Rudolph, too, seized the cold hands.

"She lives!" he exclaimed. "She is not lost to us!"

"Rudolph--dear Rudolph!" murmured the poor girl.

"My child! my child! she lives!" cried the baroness.

And it was indeed so. She had thrown herself into the water, indeed,
but the miller, who happened to be at hand, had flown to her rescue,
and she was now, by the united efforts of her friends, restored to
consciousness.

"Dear, dear Adelaide!" cried the baroness; "your life repays me now
for all my sufferings. Yes, dearest, you are my own, my only child.
Yes, baron," she added, noticing the incredulous expression of her
husband--"the supposed death of a daughter has wrung from a mother's
heart the despairing cry that betrayed her secret. In former days, I
married, secretly, Colonel Schonfeldt, a brave soldier of the emperor,
against whom my parents cherished a deadly enmity. He fell upon the
field of battle, and this poor girl, the fruit of our love, was
committed to the hands of strangers, till such time as I could take
her to my heart. I avow it without shame, nor can you, baron, whose
noble qualities won my heart, reproach me with the love I bear this
dear girl."

"She is my child now," said the baron, "as well as yours. Let us take
her back to the castle; she is a precious charge."

"I will see to her," said Rudolph, "and it shall not be my fault if
she ever have another protector."

So the party regained the castle, where Von Steinberg and Julia were
anxiously awaiting their return.

When Adelaide had been carefully attended to, Rudolph sought his uncle
and guests in the great hall.

"Miss Julia Von Steinberg," said the soldier, "since confessions are
the order of the night, I must place mine on record. I met you to-day
in obedience to orders, believing my heart was my own. The event of
to-night has told me too truly that I had unconsciously lost it. But I
am a man of honor, and if you will accept my hand without my heart,
it is yours."

"Captain Ernstein," replied the beauty, "