“Yes, I know all that; but what I mean is that I want to do something myself, and not go on taking my own comfort and enjoyment when so many other people are suffering.” “But you know the doctor said you _must_ take comfort; and he told Mrs. Stanhope not to let you sit at your books and study all the time, but to keep you a great deal in the open air. Come, let’s run all round the big rose-bed, and draw in long breaths of that delicious perfume. How strong it is! I can smell it way off here. Come!” and Fani took hold of his sister’s hand and began to run. But she held back. “I can’t run as you do, Fani,” she said, breathing heavily; “I would rather go down to the stone seat under the lindens by the river and sit a while.” “Now you see, Elsli,” said Fani, as he walked slowly by her side down towards the river, “now you see how soon you get tired. It is a good thing for you that you have this garden to stay in. And how lovely it is down here, too! do you notice? there’s quite a different smell here, and its delicious!” Fani was already seated on the bench, and he leaned back against the trunk of the old linden, whose head was crowned with flowers that diffused a sweet perfume through the air. The fresh foaming waves of the river ran below, bathing the low hanging branches as they flowed along. “Oh, how beautiful it is here! It will do you good to shout as loud as you can, Elsli. I’m sure it would make you feel better.” “Yes, indeed,” said the girl assentingly, but no joyous look came into her pale face, such as shone from Fani’s eyes. “When I sit here I always think of Nora. There’s such a beautiful view of the sunset from here. And then I think of the evening when she went away, how the whole sky was golden, as if the heavens were open, and you could look right into them and see the crystal river flowing there forever. Whenever it is a clear evening, and the red clouds come in the west, I always think that Nora is looking down at me and beckoning me to come to her. How dearly I should love to go!” Fani sprang to his feet in great distress. “How can you talk so, Elsli? Here we are living so happily together. Nobody was ever so happy as we are, and yet you talk as if it was all nothing, and all you want is to die! I’m sure I don’t want to die, and you ought not to. And if you were to talk in this way to Mrs. Stanhope just once, what do you suppose would happen? I can tell you--she’d just send us straight home, I know; and how would you like that? And I’m certain that she means to have us stay here always; for several times when I’ve said something about being a painter she has begun to talk about the future, and she takes it for granted that you and I are to live with her. Just think of that! Then I shall be a gentleman and you a lady like Mrs. Stanhope, and then--”