In the mean time it had become nearly dark; the old baron had noticed a few dew-drops on the grass, and the evening dew was, in his opinion, sheer poison for Malte, who had suffered for some time of diphtheria when a child. He proposed, therefore, that they should all go in. Melitta found that it was high time for her to return, and begged that her groom might be ordered to saddle the horses. Bruno had hurried away with the order; the baroness and mademoiselle had gone into the sitting-room; the baron was busy wrapping a thick shawl around Malte's throat to prevent his taking cold, and thus Oswald and Melitta found themselves alone for the first time since their short conversation before. Melitta had broken a rose from a bush which grew at the feet of the stone Flora, and stood looking thoughtfully at the brilliant flower. "I must beg your pardon," she said suddenly, in a low, quick voice, but without raising her eyes, "that I committed the blunder of asking you _sans façon_ to pay me a visit which may give you some trouble." "Not at all; I repeat quite sincerely now, what I before said from common politeness, that I shall be very happy indeed to be of some service to you." "Then you will come to-morrow?" "At your service." "No, as I wish it!--Just see how marvellously beautiful this rose is! Are you as fond of roses as I am?" "I love everything beautiful," said Stein, looking not at the rose but at Melitta. She raised her long eyelashes and looked deep and full into the young man's brilliant eyes. "There!" she said suddenly, holding the rose towards him as if to let him smell it; but he only felt how the slim fingers of the lady touched his lips like a mere breath. "Here are the horses, aunt!" cried Bruno. "I am coming!" replied Melitta, and left Stein. The rose was lying at his feet; he quickly stooped, picked it up, and hid it in his bosom. Mademoiselle Marguerite brought Melitta her gloves, her hat, and her whip. "Is the baroness in the parlor?" "Yes." "Then I'll go and say good-by to her." The old baron, Oswald, and the boys went through the gate in the iron railing of the park into the courtyard, where a groom was walking two horses up and down. Oswald admired the beauty of the animals, especially that with the lady's saddle, a thoroughbred, and Melitta's pet--Bella. Melitta stepped quickly out of the portal, followed by the baroness and mademoiselle. The old baron helped her in the saddle. "Good-by! good-by!" she called out. "_Allez_, Bella!" and thus she galloped away out of the courtyard into the dim evening air. The others had gone back into the house. Oswald alone remained, his eyes fixed upon the gate through which Melitta had disappeared, and sunk in deep thought. "Had we not better go in, Oswald?" said Bruno, seizing his hand. "It is quite dark now." "It is quite dark now," repeated the young man, and followed the boy dreamily. CHAPTER VIII.