o join them.

"How your hand trembles!" cried the little one.

A hasty glance from the lady sent the hot blood coursing up to
Magnhild's neck, cheeks, temples--yet another from Tande, who stood on
the door-steps, not wholly free from embarrassment, and who now bowed.

"Are we going up in the wood?" asked the little girl, clinging tightly
to Magnhild's hand.

"Yes," replied the lady; "is there not a path across the fields behind
the house?"

"Yes, there is."

"Then let us go that way."

They went into the house again, and passed out of the back door, through
the garden, across the fields. The wood lay to the left of the church,
and entirely covered the plain and the tower mountain slopes. Magnhild
and the child walked on in advance; the lady and Tande followed.

"What is your name?" asked the little girl.

"Magnhild."

"How funny, for my name is Magda, and that is almost the same."
Presently she said: "Have you ever seen papa in uniform?"

No, Magnhild never had.

"He is coming here soon, papa is, and I will ask him to put it on."

The little girl continued to prattle about her papa, whom she evidently
loved beyond all else upon earth. Sometimes Magnhild heard what she was
saying, sometimes she did not hear. The pair walking behind spoke so low
that Magnhild could not distinguish a single word they were saying
although they were quite near. Once she gave a hasty glance back and
observed that the lady's expression was troubled, Tande's grave.

They reached the wood.

"Just see! here at the very edge of the wood is the most charming spot
in the world!" exclaimed the lady, and now she was radiant again, as
though she had never known other than the most jubilant mood. "Let us
sit down here!" and as she spoke she threw herself down with a little
burst of delight and a laugh. Tande seated himself slowly and at a
little distance, Magnhild and the child took their seats opposite the
pair.

The little one sprang directly to her feet again, for her mother wanted
flowers, grass, ferns, and moss, and began to bind them at once into
nosegays when they were brought to her. It was evidently not the first
time Magda had made collections of the kind for her mother, for the
child knew every plant by name, and came running up to the group with
exclamations of delight whenever she found anything her mother had not
yet noticed but which she knew to be a favorite of hers.

Various topics were brought forward, some of whi