"Barbarian!" murmured the fainting damsel, with pale lips, and raised herself from the arms of the doctor, who, despite the sublimity attributed to him, wore at this moment a very sheepish look. Fräulein Duff strove to cast, through the tears that dimmed her water-blue eyes, an annihilating look at the mocker, declined the doctor's proffered arm with the words, "I thank you, but I need no assistance to the house," and hastened away, holding her handkerchief to her face, while Zerlina capered around her little mistress with joyous barkings and triumphant flourishings of her bushy tail. "I think she will lose her wits one of these days," said the commerzienrath, as a sort of explanation of the scene which had just occurred. "So much the more should you spare her, especially in the presence of others," said the superintendent. I had seized this opportunity to make my escape from the company, and was wandering about in the farther walks of the garden, when I saw Paula and Hermine approaching at a little distance. Paula had laid her hand on the little maid's shoulder, who, in her turn, had wound one arm round her cousin's waist. Hermine was looking up in Paula's face, and speaking with great animation, while Paula smiled in a friendly manner, and said from time to time something which seemed to call forth vehement opposition from the little maid. The lovely child of ten years, with her glossy brown hair, and her great sparkling blue eyes, her bright little face beaming with animation, and the slender maiden of fifteen, with the gentle smile on her delicate lips--both these beautiful figures illuminated by the ruddy glow of an autumn sunset--how often has this picture recurred to my memory in later years! And now they caught sight of me. I heard Paula say: "Ask him then yourself," and Hermine answered, "And so I will!" She let Paula go, came springing up to me, stood before me looking fearlessly at me with her great eyes, and asked: "Can you conquer lions, or can you not?" "I think not," I answered; "but why?" "Yes or no?" she asked, giving the least possible stamp of her little foot. "Well then, no!" "But you ought to," she replied, with an indignant look. "I wish it." "If you wish it, I will do my very best, the first chance that offers." "Do you see, Paula," said the little maid, turning to her with a triumphant look. "I told you so! I told you so!" and she clapped her hands and sprang about like a little Bacchante, and then ran scampering over the flower-beds, Zerlina following her with loud barkings. "What did the child mean with her curious question?" I asked Paula. "It seems that Fräulein Duff keeps comparing you to Richard the Lion-heart," replied Paula, with a smile. "With Richard the Lion-heart--me?"