A quick, firm step upon the gravel startled her from her revery. She hastily wiped her eyes, but did not look around until Otto's voice said close beside her, "Forgive me, dear Johanna. I hear, it is true, that you do not like to be interrupted in your evening strolls; nevertheless you must allow me to thank you before I leave here again to-morrow morning." "Are you going so soon?" she asked in faltering tones. "Would you like to have me stay?" he replied. "Do not be conventional, Johanna; I want to know your real feeling." "We should all be glad to keep you here," she said. He looked at her sadly, and rejoined, in a melancholy tone, "I asked how _you_ felt; I care little about the others. But you,--what fault do you find with me, Johanna? I ought not, indeed, to ask such a question to-day. You all blame me, and you are apparently right in doing so. But before--I mean when you wrote me that letter--we parted more than friends; and then came that cold, stiff note!" "It was not meant to be so; I meant it should be kind," she replied, without looking up at him. "So much the worse!" he cried. "You meant to and could not. But I have no right to reproach you when you have just done me so friendly a service." "Which you did not wish to accept from me," she answered him, reproachfully. "Johanna, I trust you understand why it was so much harder for me to accept this kind of help from you than from the others?" "Because you do not know me so well; I am not so near to you," she said. "You do not, you cannot believe that," he hastily interposed. "To me you seem far nearer to me, and therefore it humiliates me all the more to----" "Where are you?" Magelone's voice called from a side-path at this moment. "Here!" called Johanna, who hardly knew whether to be glad or sorry for the interruption. "Oh, dear! I had so much to say," whispered Otto, as he took Johanna's hand and pressed it to his lips. "One word more while we are alone,--would you like to have me stay here a few days?" "Most certainly. Did I not tell you so?" Johanna replied, vainly endeavouring to withdraw her hand from his. "And your letter was not the expression of your displeasure with me?" he went on, still in a whisper, as he leaned towards her; but, before she could answer, Magelone's light gown appeared from among the trees. "Beg pardon if I intrude," she said, in a tone which was meant to be teasing, but which only succeeded in sounding cross. "Not at all," Otto replied, divining her jealous emotion. "Come take part in our consultation; we were discussing the question of my either remaining here for a few days or returning directly to my garrison."