Herminia bathed her face and hands with eau-de-cologne and water, gave a finishing touch to her hair, kissed the envelope which contained the now dry and faded leaves of Ludwig's rose, placed it in her soft white bosom as a charm to strengthen her for the purpose she had in hand, and descended noiselessly to the drawing-room, when the sound of several voices, laughing loudly, jarred sorely on her ears and excited nerves. She entered with her heavy eyelids drooping, and advanced with her gaze bent on the oak planks of the polished floor; then she shuddered as some one approached and took her unresisting hand. 'Herminia, dearest, look up! look upon _me_!' said a familiar voice. 'Ludwig! my own Ludwig!' she exclaimed in astonishment--almost terror, to see him there, and in the uniform of the Thuringians, as he said-- 'And now, cousin, let me introduce you to my dear friend, Herr Carl Pierrepont of ours.' 'Ludwig?' said the thoroughly bewildered girl. 'No Ludwig at all,' he replied, laughing, and embracing her; 'but your own cousin, my belle--Heinrich of Frankenburg.' 'Aunt Adelaide!--Ernestine!--what _does_ all this mean?' 'It means, my dear child,' said the Countess, laughing heartily at her niece's perplexity; 'it means that it was all a plot of Ernestine's and Heinrich's, too. They had early learned your repugnance to the plan of betrothal, when you were too young to consent or refuse, and we all saw the folly of a constraint that seemed so heart-sickening to you. Thus we arranged that you should meet him as a stranger under an assumed name. You have met, and know and love each other, so the tie of that love alone binds you now.' 'Oh, Ernestine, my sweet cousin, forgive and forget my reproaches!' exclaimed the blushing and trembling, but happy girl, as she laid her head on the bosom of the beautiful brunette, who laughed and kissed her, fondling her as if she were a child. 'Well, Carl,' said Heinrich, 'what do _you_ think of all this?' 'That I wish you every joy; but I must own, that when proposing to "have out" this Herr Mansfeld, your reply about shooting at _yourself_ in a mirror puzzled me,' said Pierrepont, laughing heartily at the whole situation, and enchanted with the happy scene amid which he was introduced to two such beautiful girls as the famous Belles of Frankenburg. But now the bell clanged for dinner. The Countess took his arm, the Count leading with his niece, Heinrich and his sister following, all laughter and smiles. The only silent one there was the radiant Herminia, who had been, as her affianced said, 'so pleasantly tricked.' CHAPTER IV. CHARLIE IN LOVE.