therein, caused her to go thus politely before. "But you have heard about Emmy Ibsen's marriage?" asked Miss Brandt. "Yes, it was about a month ago, I think." "Yes, I was bridesmaid." "Indeed!" said Miss Hjelm, in a voice which atoned for her brevity. "The party was at the shooting-ground." "So!" said Miss Hjelm again, with as correct an intonation as if she had learned it for "I don't care." "Take care, Miss Brandt," she added, stooping to avoid an apple-branch. "Take care?--oh, for that branch!" said Miss Brandt, and avoided it as charmingly and coquettishly as if it had been living. "It was very gay," she added, "even more so than wedding-parties commonly are; but this was caused a good deal by Counsellor Bagger." "So!" "Yes, he was very gay ... I was his companion at table. "Ah!" "Oh, only to think! at the table he stands up declaring that he is engaged." "Was his lady present?" "No, that she was not, I think. Do you know who it was?" "No, how should I know that, Miss Brandt?" "The whirlwind!" "The whirlwind?" "Yes. He said that he, as a young man, in a solemn moment had sent his love letter or his promise out with the wind, and he was continually waiting for an answer: he had given his promise, was betrothed!--Ou!" "What is it?" asked Miss Hjelm, sympathetically. The truth was, the young hostess at this moment had relaxed her polite care, and a limb of a gooseberry-bush had struck against Miss Brandt's ankle. The pain was soon over; and the two ladies, who now had reached the termination of the walk, turned toward the house side by side, each protecting herself, unconscious that any change had occurred. "But I hardly believe it," continued Miss Brandt: "he said it perhaps only to make himself conspicuous, for certain gentlemen are just as coquettish as ... as they accuse us of being." Miss Hjelm uttered a doubting, "Um!" "Yes, that they really are! Have you ever seen any lady as coquettish as an actor?" "I don't know any of them, but I should suppose an actress might be." "No: no actress I have ever met of the better sort was really coquettish. I don't know how it is with them, but I believe they have overcome coquettishness." "But you think, then, Counsellor Bang is coquettish?" "Not Bang--Bagger. Yes; for although he said he had this romantic love for a fairy, he often does court to modest earthly ladies. He is properly somewhat of a flirt." "That is unbecoming an old man." "Yes; but he is not old." "Oh!" said Miss Hjelm, laughing: "I have only known one war counsellor, and he was old; so I thought of all war counsellors as old." "Yes; but Counsellor Bagger is not war counsellor, but a real Superior Court Counsellor." "Oh, how earnest that is! And so he is in love with a fairy?"