music-room."

Irma excused herself to the doctor, whose eyes followed her with a
thoughtful gaze. In a little while the rich and metallic notes of
Countess Irma's voice were heard.

"Eberhard used to sing delightfully," said the doctor, directing his
steps toward the palace. When he approached the music-room, and saw
that the canon, who had read the mass that morning, was about to enter,
he hesitated.

The morning was soft and balmy; nature seemed wrapped in bliss. Every
plant, every flower, thrives best in its native soil. Man alone is
constantly creating new torments for himself. Could it be possible that
the mischievous countess was right, after all? But why should the queen
wish to forsake the faith of her ancestors?

The doctor retired to an arbor and read his Horace.

Doctor Sixtus presented himself before the dinner hour, and, while the
company were seating themselves at table, rode off in the direction of
the mountains.

That evening--it was mild and starlight--the court drove to the
capital; for the corner-stone of the new arsenal was to be laid on the
following day, with great pomp and military display.

CHAPTER III.

The bells were ringing merrily. Their sounds were re-echoed by the
rugged mountains, and then floated out over the lake, the smooth,
green, glassy surface of which mirrored the forest-clad shores, the
rocky crags, and the skies above.

Crowds were issuing from the church, the only building at the upper end
of the lake. The men, donning their green hats with the black cock
plumes, took their pipes from their pockets and struck a light; the
women busied themselves with their dress, adjusted the pointed, green
hats, smoothed their aprons, and tied the broad streaming ends of their
silk kerchiefs anew. Following after the old women, who are always the
last to leave the church, there was a handsome young couple. The wife
was tall and stout, the husband slender and hardy as a pine. His
appearance showed the effects of the week's hard work. His pointed,
green hat, on which there was no hunter's badge, was worn aslant; he
took off his jacket and laid it over his shoulder, and then, with a
smile which seemed somewhat out of keeping with his weather-beaten
face, said:

"Don't you see? This is much better. Now there's no danger of your
getting squeezed in the crowd."

The young wife nodded assent.

A group of women and girls seemed to have been waiting f