And yet it was a sight well worthy of enthusiastic admiration. The sun had just sunk into the ocean, and seemed to draw down with it the clouds shining brilliantly in a variety of gold and crimson hues. From the point where it had set bright streaks of light were shooting up in all directions, piercing the clouds, and losing themselves high up in the deep blue ether. The sea was like a mass of fire near the horizon, and golden sparks came dancing towards the shore on the crests of the waves. The chalk cliffs, with their colossal clefts, and the beech-trees crowning them, flamed up in the red evening light as in a blaze. All around was solemn stillness, broken only by the dash of the waves below upon the shingle, and now and then the shrill cry of a gull fluttering restlessly over the waters. The company stood about in groups, lost in admiration of the glorious sight, which changed every moment Oswald, tired of the continuous Ahs and Ohs, in which especially the baroness and Felix vied with each other, had gone aside from the others and seated himself upon the exposed root of an immense beech-tree. "Have you room for me there?" asked Helen, coming up to him. "I pray you will take my seat," said Oswald, starting up. "Only for a moment; I do not know why, but the walk has tired me more than usually." "Perhaps you stayed too long in the garden this morning?" "No, but _à propos_. how does it happen that I have not seen you to-day--nor yesterday?" "A mere accident." "I am glad to hear that." "Why?" "To tell the truth, I was afraid I had driven you out of the garden; I thought this constant meeting with one and the same person would have become quite intolerable to you." "You are too modest, I am sure." "No, do not laugh at me; I really thought so--yes, and worse still; you have become very silent since day before yesterday, and, as I fancied, especially reserved towards me. Nor did you give me my lesson in literature yesterday, which I anticipated with so much pleasure. Have I given you, unknowingly, cause to----" "What can you mean?" "Well, sometimes I say things that sound harsh or arrogant; at least I have been told so; but really I do not mean them----" As Helen looked up at Oswald with her full, dark eyes, he stood before her utterly lost in admiration of her beauty, and in wonder at her sudden and inexplicable gentleness and sympathy. "Why do you look at me so astonished?" "Because I did not know so much kindness could be hid behind so much pride." "Do you think the world deserves seeing our heart?" "A strange question from the lips of so young a lady." "To be sure, we are not expected to think. At best we are pretty dolls, to play with and to be given away to the first man who looks as if he would like to have us." "Cousin!" called Felix, "we are going down to the beach; will you join us?" "No," answered Helen, without looking round at the speaker. "It is a charming walk," added Felix.