After the usual inquiries and compliments had been gone through with, they were conducted to a handsome room, opening on a balcony overlooking a modern flower-garden behind the castle. The baroness left them to rest and refresh themselves. She was soon followed by a servant bearing fruits and refreshments on a gilded waiter. But Franzchen thought not of eating as she stood at the window looking out upon the terrace. So looking doubtfully at her companion, who was busily engaged directing Lisette to unpack the trunks, she began: “Oh, Magda, how pleasant it would be to run down and look at the river. We could so easily descend these steps and pass through that gate.” “No, indeed, Franzchen. You must lie down immediately and go to sleep.” “What! I go to sleep! It isn’t night yet!” “But we have been traveling all day, and to-night we are to be introduced to a great party. If we do not rest now we shall be horribly weary when evening comes, and look frightful and stupid.” “But, Magda, I’m not sleepy at all. It will be of no use to lie down.” “But you must, Franzchen; you must eat and sleep, or you will look thin and pale, and I don’t want you to look like a scarecrow.” “I don’t want to look like a scarecrow, either. Do you think I shall?” “Of course you will if you don’t lie down. Now do, dear Franzchen.” “Well, then, if I must,” said Franzchen, sighing as she turned away from the window. Magda smiled as she saw her lie down and in a few minutes fall fast asleep, but without thinking of following her example, she was turning again to Lisette, when the baroness looked in. “Do you not want to rest, my dear?” “No, aunt; I never sleep in the day time.” “Well, then, leave Lisette and come with me a moment, I want to have a talk with you.” So saying, she led the way to the balcony, and after a few compliments on her manners and appearance, she began. “Now, my dear child, who is this friend of yours, this Mademoiselle Deshalbens?” “She is an orphan,” answered Magda. “Her father came to our neighborhood when she was very young, and purchased a house near to ours. When he died he left her, with a moderate fortune, to the guardianship of my father, who had taken a great deal of interest in her.” “Who was her father? Were you acquainted with him before?” “No, they were perfect strangers, but we liked Franzchen so much, that we would gladly have had her with us always. Monsieur Deshalbens was French. His health was very poor from the time we first became acquainted with him; his wife, who was a German, had died some time before.”