quest, allowed her to
have the now sacrificed treasures in her own keeping. "They were to be
mine. They _are_ mine," she said to herself. "I have offered them. I
shall never wear them now. My mother in heaven would approve of what I
have done." Here her conscience gave her a cruel pang. She was
inclined to open again the velvet-lined box, and lay the jewellery
where it had so long rested, but that was impossible without opening
the little locked door of the treasure-house. That she had vowed to
herself she would not do before the time appointed--a time she was now
most anxious should soon arrive.

At this moment Alma heard the sound of footsteps. She thrust the case
into its drawer, locked it and dropped the key into her pocket like one
disturbed in a dishonest act rather than in a noble deed. There was a
loud knock at the door. Alma opened it, and Frans stood before her.

"What do you want here?" she said impatiently.

"I can't find papa," said Frans. "I wanted to tell him that it went
'bully' for me at the examination this morning. I thought perhaps your
highness might like to know it too. The teachers seem to think I shall
stand 'tip-top' in my report."

"I don't believe you will deserve it," said Alma sharply. "I never see
you studying."

"But I have studied lately, more than I ever studied in my life. I
didn't go to bed a single night last week before one o'clock."

"You ought to be ashamed to tell it!" said Alma reprovingly. "You know
papa don't allow you to sit up late."

"I shall tell him about it myself, and I know papa will excuse me,"
said Frans, in high spirits.

The colonel did excuse Frans, and was delighted to hear of his success,
though he did not fail to say it was hard to make up by such forced
studying for neglect during the term, and a thing that he hoped would
never be needed again.

Frans was in a glorious good-humour during the short time he allowed
himself for lunch, and made his pony fly as he hurried back to school
immediately afterwards.

The school was in a village about twenty minutes' ride from the
colonel's home. The afternoon session was over, and yet Frans did not
return. The colonel was very anxious about his son. He feared that he
had been induced to celebrate his success in some wild frolic, and sent
in a messenger to search after him.

The report came back that Frans had done very badly at school during
the latter part of the day, and had ridden off