aunt does not object, she who Harald says is so proud and haughty, how can the other relations say anything against it?'--'Then you are not the old lady's companion?' I asked, surprised.--'No!' she said, 'I saw her here for the first time!'--'But how in Heaven's name did you get here, if you did not come as her companion?'--The poor child cried more violently than before. 'I must not tell you,' she cried. 'I have promised the baron to keep it from everybody till----' she paused as if she had said too much already. 'I dare not tell you,' she repeated, 'but you may believe me, I am not a bad girl, as you seem to think.'--Then she kissed me on my forehead and hurried away toward the castle. "After that day I saw that Miss Marie had often been crying. She had cause enough for it, the poor child. Harald did what I had long apprehended: he commenced his old life again; of course only gradually. The friends did not come to the castle yet, but he himself rode out frequently and remained away half a day or a whole day. When he returned he was often in bad humor, treating the servants to whippings and kickings, and demolishing the furniture; still times were golden in comparison with what had been before, and he was still always quite gentle with Miss Marie, especially after his violence had once frightened her nearly to death. With the aunt he seemed to have nothing at all to do, after they had been quarrelling once or twice in the parlor at night, so that we heard it down stairs. I thought the old lady was scolding him, and so I sent her as many good dishes and as much wine to her room as she wished, although it was inconceivable what she could consume.