Neither of them remembered what a strange thing it must have seemed to every one present that they should have so much to say to each other in private. People began to whisper, and I heard the Platonic lover of progress say to one of her gossips, 'I saw many curious things when I was in Lemberg; but I never knew before that any girl who was engaged to be married would venture to talk so long to a stranger--I really never did!' But at this moment they separated. "I am so glad that you haven't forgotten old times," said the girl aloud; "it's a sign that you aren't wicked, though many people say that you are.... But now--I must say good-by." And in another moment she was gone. He gazed after her retreating figure as though in a dream. I went up to him. "You've given the unfortunate bridegroom rather a bad half hour," I said, laughingly. "What!" he asked, quickly, "is she engaged?" "I heard some one say so just now." "To whom?" "I don't know. Didn't she tell you about it?" "No," he answered, and then begged me to go home--he had had enough of the party. That was their first meeting. * * * * * Two months later. The mild autumn sunshine was gilding the landscape, and the heath was brightly tinted with deep russet hues. Adolf and I were once more sitting opposite each other in the railway-carriage, but this time we were going northward, and were leaving Barnow behind us. Adolf's manner had been rather strange of late. He had sometimes been unreasonably full of high spirits, and again absolutely silent, not a word to be got out of him on any subject; sometimes confident, and again sentimental. Any one could see that the poor fellow was over head and ears in love, and therefore in a very unsettled frame of mind. I did not know how matters stood between him and the girl he loved, and did not care to ask; but I rejoiced in silence that the spring-time of joy had at last come to the sad solitary heart of my old friend. He was very gentle during the whole of that day, and did not give utterance to a single sarcastic speech. His face looked softer and brighter than I could have imagined it possible for those sharply-cut features to look. At last he addressed me suddenly. "I've got something to tell you that you'll be glad to hear." "Go on." But he grew silent again. After a long pause he burst out all at once: "I love her; she loves me. I can not bear to keep it to myself any longer, so I will tell you how it all happened...." I shook him warmly by the hand, and then he went on: