The Baron rose to greet him: one glance at the young officer's face was sufficient; he pressed his hand in silence, and led him to a place by the side of the Baroness. An animated discussion now began concerning the weather, which was completely changed; a strong south wind had risen in the night, so there was now a thaw. The snow was all melted--the torrents were flowing once more, and the roads impassable. "How can you possibly reach Blumenberg, to-day?" the Baron inquired of his guest. "That will be well nigh impossible," said the doctor. "I am just come from a patient at the next village, and I was nearly an hour performing the same distance in a carriage that is usually traversed on foot in a quarter of an hour." Edward had not given a thought this morning to the shooting-match. Now that it had occurred to him to remember it, he felt little regret at being detained from a scene of noisy festivity which, far from being desirable, appeared to him actually distasteful in his present frame of mind. Yet he was troubled by the thought of intruding too long on the hospitality of his new friends; and he said, in a hesitating manner-- "Yes! but I must try how far--" "That you shall not do," interrupted the Baron. "The road is always bad: and in a thaw it is always dangerous. It would go against my conscience to allow you to risk it. Remain with us: we have no shooting-match or ball to offer you, but--" "I shall not certainly regret either," cried Edward, eagerly. "Well, then, remain with us, Lieutenant," said the matron, laying her hand on his arm, with a kind, maternal gesture. "You are heartily welcome; and the longer you stay with us, the better shall we be pleased." The youth bowed, and raised the lady's hand to his lips, and said-- "If you will allow me--if you feel certain that I am not intruding--I will accept your kind offer with joy. I never care much for a ball, at any time, and to-day in particular"--. He stopped short, and then added, "In such bad weather as this, the small amusement--" "Would be dearly bought." interposed the Baron. "Come, I am delighted; you will remain with us." He shook Edward warmly by the hand. "You know you are with old friends." "And, beside," said the doctor, with disinterested solicitude, "it would be imprudent, for M. de Wensleben does not look very well. Had you a good night, sir?" "Very good," replied Edward. "Without much dreaming?" continued the other, pertinaciously. "Dreaming! oh, nothing wonderful," answered the officer. "Hem!" said the doctor, shaking his head, portentiously. "No one yet--" "Were I to relate my dream," replied Edward, "you would understand it no more than I did. Confused images--" The Baroness, who saw the youth's unwillingness to enlarge upon the subject, here observed-- "That some of the visions had been of no great importance--those which she had heard related, at least."