"Was he so glad as that? Oh, I'm sure he must have been wildly glad if he fell on his knees! You shall have another medallion instead of it to keep for yourself." They had come to the road that ran between the Mill and the Castle. Johannes stopped and said: "Here by these bushes something happened to me once. I was walking one evening as I so often did in my loneliness, and it was summer and fine weather. I lay down behind the bushes and was lost in thought. Then two people came quietly walking along the road. The lady stopped. Her companion asked: why do you stop? And as he got no answer he asked again: Is anything the matter? No, she answered; but you mustn't look at me like that. I only looked at you, he said. Yes, she answered, I know very well that you love me, but Papa won't allow it, you understand; it is impossible. He murmured: Yes, I suppose it's impossible. Then she said: You are so broad here, about the hand; you have such oddly broad wrists! And then she took hold of his wrist." "Well, what happened?" asked Camilla. "I don't know," replied Johannes. "Why did she say that about his wrists?" "Perhaps they were nice. And then he had a white shirt above them--oh, of course I know why. I expect she was fond of him too." "Camilla!" he said; "if I was very fond of you and waited a few years, I only ask.... In one word, I am not worthy of you; but do you think you would be mine some day if I ask you next year or in two years' time?" Pause. Camilla had suddenly turned fiery red with embarrassment, she twisted her slight figure this way and that and clasped her hands. He put his arm round her and asked: "Do you think you could some day? Will you?" "Yes," she answered, and fell into his arms. * * * * * The next day he saw her down to the pier. He kissed her little hands with their childish, innocent expression and was full of thankfulness and joy. Victoria was not there. "Why has nobody come with you?" Camilla told him with scared eyes that the Castle was in the most terrible trouble. A telegram had come in the morning, the Master had gone as pale as death, the old Chamberlain and his wife had cried out with pain--Otto had been killed out shooting the evening before. Johannes seized Camilla's arm. "Killed? The Lieutenant?" "Yes. They're on the way with his body. It is terrible." They walked on, lost in their own thoughts, and only woke at the sight of the people on the pier and the sound of orders shouted from the ship. Camilla bashfully gave him her hand; he kissed it and said: "Well, well, I'm not worthy of you, Camilla, no, not in any sense. But I shall be as good to you as I possibly can if you will be mine." "I will be yours. I have wanted it the whole time, the whole time." "I shall follow in a few days," he said. "In a week I shall see you again."