m n J >*"Js iSaL. BBBEmKl * { P / \ X :.o : ^ Two DAUGHTERS OF ONE RACE BY W. HEIMBURG AUTHOR OF GERTRUDE'S MARRIAGE, ETC., ETC MRS. D. M. LOWREY NEW YORK: W. L. ALLISON COMPANY, COPYRIGHT, i88p BY WORTHINGTON CO tm too Muggers of one race, tae f$e faircsf tn f3e face." TENNYSON. 2136402 TWO DAUGHTERS OF ONE RACE. CHAPTER I. " FOR my lady," said the maid, as she handed a letter to my grandmother, Fran von Werthern. The old lady aroused herself from her waking dream, let her work fall from her hands, brought her spectacles down from their resting-place on her forehead, placed them firmly before her eyes, and then studied the superscription. All was quiet in the room, with that unearthly quiet which follows days of pain and sorrow. For over two weeks scarcely a word had been spoken in our household which had not been absolutely necessary. Now I was almost frightened when my grand- mother called to me in energetic tones : " Helena ! " " Yes, grandmother." Two Daughters of One Race. "Call Lotta." I rose and went into the next room. We called it our boudoir ; the floor was covered with a soft, rich carpet ; my dead mother's fur- niture stood there, and my flowers, and Lotta's piano and easel. " Lotta ! " I called ; for I did not at first see her. She rose from the couch upon which she was lying, and looked at me wifh her sad eyes, whose deep lustre much weeping had not dark- ened. "What is it ?" she asked in her clear, ringing tones. " Has any one come to see us ? " " No, Lotta : grandmother wishes to speak to us." She sighed, but followed me, and we went back together to the other room. The old lady regarded us sorrowfully and earnestly over the rim of her glasses, then gave me the letter. " Read, Helena," she said abruptly. " From whom is it ? " asked Lotta. " Wait, little princess," was the answer. "Sit here, child, and you shall hear immediately." Lotta made an impatient movement, but sank obediently upon the nearest chair and bowed her head upon her hands. She seemed very submissive, but I knew only too well how to interpret the quivering of her lips. I began reading. Two Daughters of One Race. " DEAREST FRAU VON WERTHERN : " I have been both shocked and saddened by your let- ter What is man, I have asked myself, that he should carry his head so high and think himself so great and mighty ? A trifling accident overtakes him, and all his pomp and splendor pass away. Alas ! dear Frau von Werthern, it is hard to see any one die, but it is hardest of all to see your own child go, when God calls him to himself. And so in spirit I press your hand and say- that I feel for you and mourn with you for your son. I myself have lost three children, three great, spbndid boys, but let that rest, dear friend. Your loss is much more severe ; he was your only son. As to the rest of your letter to me, I shall answer it at once. Life here is not hard, living is not dear, and you can get rooms nothing like apartments in the aristocratic quarter of Berlin, of course but still cosey and comfortable. My Fritz has reckoned that upon your income you can live here like the Queen-Dowager herself, at any rate a great deal better than in the capital. " Five hundred thalers is quite a nice income for three ladies, and if the girls are industrious about the house, and you content yourself with one servant, you can throw off all care. As far as we are concerned we shall always be glad to assist you. I know a very nice lodging in our immediate neighborhood, and if you and your grandchil- dren should come, you shall stay with us until your new home is put in order. " How long it is since we saw each other last ! In those days you were the centre and soul of us all, and 1, a young and joyous wife. My dear husband was by my side and my boys were small. 1 remember how we used to danca 4 Two Daughters of One Race. on the barn floor at Borsfeld, at the harvest home. But now the leaves have fallen from the trees, dear Frau von \Verthern, and the swallows have flown away ; Borsfeld has passed into the hands of strangers, and the young and jovial officer who danced so gayly with us in those days is dead, and his daughters are left to your care. But " * (here the letter came suddenly to an end, and the paper was stained with the writer's tears). " Fritz and I send hearty greeting to all. " Faithfully your friend, " FREDERICA R." Then came a postscript. " The lodging of which I spoke rents for sixty thalers a year." " That is just right," nodded my grandmother, after a long pause. " Sit down, Helena, and write her to engage the lodgings, and say that I thank her very much for her kind information." "To whom shall I write?" I stammered, full of fear, and we both stared vacantly into the old lady's face as she went on quietly with her knit- ting. "To Frau Frederica Roden." " Are we going to move there, grandmamma ? " I said inquiringly. " We are indeed, in October." She let the knitting fall from her hands and looked from me to Lotta. The face of my beau- Two Daughters of One Race, tiful sister had become a dark red, and she sat biting the end of her handkerchief. " We cannot remain here," said the old lady softly ; " this suite of rooms costs us our entire annual income. In losing your father you also lose your life of ease, for he surrendered the residue of his fortune to Hans, in order to give the boy another start in America. I hope you both will submit and accommodate yourselves to the inevitable, and will do all you can to assist me in bearing the burden which God has laid upon me at the edge of the grave. You too, little princess, what do you say ? Give me your hand." The young girl arose and laid her hand for a moment in the speaker's shrivelled palm, then drew it hastily away and went out. From the adjoining room a sharp sound came back to us, half a laugh and half a sob, then all was still. I sat at the writing-desk and held the pen with a trembling hand. It seemed impossible for me to write to this strange woman whom I did not know, who lived in an unknown place whither fate was sending us, and about which I knew nothing except that it was near Borsfeld, the ancient seat of the Werthern family, before *hty were overtaken by misfortune. When I had finally written the answer and Two Daughters of One Race. taken it to my grandmother for perusal, she looked up at me with a troubled face. I have never seen another pair of eyes as wise as hers and I never saw any moisture in them or any sign of weakness. Even on the day of my father's funeral and he was her only son there were no traces of tears. But I always loved to look into those clear, honest, and faithful eyes, for they inspired me with confidence and trust. Her expression was severe, open, and self-reliant, such as a woman always acquires when her hus- band is only an overgrown child, and, instead of a helpmeet, is a continual care and cross. My grandfather had been such a child, thought- less, violent, easily roused to anger, and warm- hearted ; and he left to his wife the entire care of the household and children. This was a fam- ily trait with the Wertherns. " It will do quite well, Helena," said my grand- mother. " Now tell me what you think of our plan." " Anything will suit me," I answered, quite surprised, for throughout my life I had so sel- dom been asked for my opinion. " That is well : you are certainly more reason- able than Lotta. Yet she is not to blame that she revolts from all this ; she is just like her mother, who always was a madcap." Two Daughters of One Race. Lotta was my half-sister ; Hans, who was two years her senior, was her full brother. I was the eldest. I had never known my mother, for she died when I was born. And scarcely a year and a half later my father married a second time. " She is only eighteen years old, grandmother," I said apologetically. " And you are quite aged ? " she answered with a faint smile ; " two-and-twenty years is certainly an advanced age." " But I know the world which Lotta must now leave, just when it is opening so attractively be- fore her." "Certainly it is hard," said my grandmother, as she looked out into the quiet, aristocratic street where our dwelling was situated. '' But," she resumed, turning to me, " it is not the worst thing that could happen. It would be worse for us to remain here and starve under the eyes of those who have known us in our better days ; that would be a thousand times worse. When one becomes as old as I, one knows that." And she nodded her head in silence. "Who must, has no option," she began again. " To-morrow we will decide upon what furniture we can afford to take with us, and will sell the rest." As she said this her voice trembled. It is very Two Daughters of One Race. sad to come to poverty ip one's old age after having passed a long life of comfort. Hans was the cause of it all. He was to blame for our penniless condition, to blame for our father's death, to blame that two portionless girls hung like burrs upon an old woman who otherwise, had she been alone, would have had sufficient to keep her in comfort for the rest of her life. The thought rushed in upon me : " You must not allow it. You must do something for your- self." " Grandmother," I began hurriedly, " I will not go to Rotenberg ; I will I will get a situa- tion somewhere. You know I have taken charge of the housekeeping here." She shook her gray head. " No, Helena, I cannot spare you ; you must remain with me. And Lotta who is a mere child yet, and any way not fit to take your place I shall care for you both as long as I can. God will do the rest. You must both remain with me. Go now, and see that Lotta don't break her heart weeping the poor baby." I went to her, but did not find her weeping. Her cheeks were feverishly red, and she had a volume of Meyers 's Encyclopaedia in her hands. When she saw me she cried, " O Helena, only listen to this : ' Rotenberg, in the township of X, Two Daughters of ^ One Race. district of T, a county town of five thousand inhabitants ' Helena, do you grasp it ? ' five thousand inhabitants ' ! ' The people are prin- cipally engaged in agriculture and cattle-raising ; there is a high-school, two churches, and a needle factory ' Great heavens ! a needle factory, and O wonder ! ' a ducal palace with a beautiful park, which has, however, been uninhabited since 1815, when the ducal residence was removed to Kerrburg ' ! " She had read on with increasing excitement. " God have mercy on me if I am to bury my- self there ! " " It may be very nice there, after all," I said encouragingly. " Very nice ! You good soul ! I generally find that what is called ' very nice ' is sure to be a dreadful bore." " Don't borrow trouble, little princess ; it will be better than we think." She did not answer, but an ironical smile played around her lips. " I am going to the churchyard now," I said ; " will you come with me ? " She rose without a word, and took down her black hat, and went to the mirror to put back th dark curls which had fallen low over the fore* head, and then took up her gloves, ro Tii'o Daughters of One Race. Gloomily and with knit brows she walked by my side, and numberless glances of admiration were cast toward her by those whom we met on our way. Even I could not abstain from looking at her repeatedly. Yes, my sister Lotta was undeniably the love- liest, most charming creature in our great city, so thought I, so thought we all, and, I almost believe, so thought she herself. She had beer, her father's darling, the favorite of us all, " the little princess," as we had ever called her sinct the day upon which she had taken her first steps. I can see her yet in her pretty blue frock and her dainty red shoes. From that time on I had watched over her and cared for her like a mother, but I was always astonished that this dainty little creature could be my sister. She always responded to my passionate tender- ness with moods and tears, and sometimes with stormy caresses, after the manner of spoiled children who feel that they have us completely in their power. In this way she invariably carried her point. After her mother's death, her earnest, enthu- siastic affection concentrated itself upon Hans. The two children made common cause against their father, their grandmother, and myself. They treated me as though I had not the right to be Two Daughters of One Race. \ \ called sister, and seemed to forget that we had the same father to love. They were always united and ready to defend one another. When the trouble with Hans began, when the knowl- edge of his irregular life came home to us, and he had violent scenes with his father, which ended in a breach between the two, Lotta was just the same and would believe nothing to his discredit. And finally, when he was forced to quit the army and go to America, she cried and fainted, and seemed driven to despair. Even the death of her father had not roused her from this painful lethargy. All she said was that Hans would now be altogether desolate ; and while grandmother and I thought of him in bitterness of spirit, she bemoaned his fate as though he were enduring a hard, undeserved punishment. The summer evening was closing in rapidly, the last beams of the sun fell, glowing darkly, upon the broad promenade, enveloping the count- less throng of riders, carriages, and pedestrians in its transparent glory. The leaves of the trees on both sides of the street were gray with dust, and even the shrubbery in the beautifully kept gar- dens presented a similar grayish hue.- " How suffocating it is," I remarked, but Lotta did not seem to agree with me. Her dark eyes gazed eagerly at this beautiful sunset picture 1 2 Two Daughters of One Race. now and then she responded to the greeting of an acquaintance, bowing her head proudly, and once she blushed slightly as an officer of the Guards raised his hand in salutation as he rode past. " That is Eberhard von Stollen, Hans's best friend," she said. " Poor Hans ! " "And who is to blame for his ruin," I re- sponded bitterly. "To blame ! " she answered. "Our circum- stances are to blame, our miserable circum- stances. If we had a great fortune, Hans would be the most honorable of men." I was silent ; it was always the same answer. At last the quiet green churchyard lay before us, and a deep peace came over me. Far behind lay the noise and clamor of the streets. Only a few figures lingered at different graves. In the middle path two old ladies walked up and down ; the grayedigger had once told us that they came there daily for a prome- nade. It had always seemed to me queer that they should select such a spot, but within the last fortnight I had begun to understand it. Here was peace and rest and hope, and the end of all earthly strife. We sat down quietly, side by side, on a little bench before three mounds. Yonder my moth- Two Daughters of One Race. 13 er's, then Lotta's mother's, and now this new grave of our father. Neither of us wept ; there was defiance in our hearts as we both thought of Hans. Did he know of this new grave ? Had the sad news already reached him, when he had scarcely set foot on dry land ? A severe, cruel message for him ! I could see him in my mind's eye; how shocked he was as he blamed himself for his father's sudden death. I knew he would weep and tear his hair, and half an hour after he would be whistling a merry love song, or seeking any amusement which came in hi? way. Incomprehensible, lovable, kindly Hans ! Lotta rose suddenly and went to her father's grave, where she kneeled down, throwing her arms over the mound, and began to cry bitterly ; her whole frame seemed to rise and sink in sup- pressed agony. For a quarter of an hour she remained in this position, and I did not disturb her. At last she arose and dried her eyes, saying : " There is no help for it, we must just try and see what we can make out of this wretched existence." " What do you mean ? " I asked her. She looked down with an expression of indif- ference at the leaves beneath her feet, and re- plied : " Hans always said that men were like i4 Two Daughters of One the puppets in my child's theatre, and we pulled the wires as we chose ; he was a perfect heathen in his belief." I looked at her questioningly. " But I " she said sharply, rubbing her red eyes as she spoke " will not be a puppet ; I will not. I do not care to live this way any longer." She turned away abruptly, and stepped out from between the graves so quickly that I could scarcely follow her. We returned home in silence. When we arrived there Lotta threw herself upon the sofa, and began stroking and petting " Schnips," the dog which Hans had left behind, and to whisper to him of his master. When the animal heard the word " master " he pricked up his ears and sprang for the door, as if he waited for the familiar step, then came back to Lotta and looked at her questioningly with his wise, bright eyes. Then she lifted the little animal up again, and stroked his yellow hair. " No, I will not ! " I heard her say once more. The following weeks were passed in prepara- tion for our change of residence. The old lady sat in her own room and studied the plan of the house at Rotenberg, laid her measuring-rule on the chart and marked out the spot where each piece of furniture was to be placed, and then Two Daughters of One Race. 15 made up a list of what was to be sold, on a great sheet of paper. There was a fearful crying time whenever Lotta learned that any favorite article was going into the hands of strangers ; the dining-room with its carved oak furniture was guarded, piece by piece, by her, but to no purpose. It was not possible for her to part with it, she said. " We can part with it easiest of all," decided my grandmother. " What we will keep are re- membrances of your mother's ; that trumpery there was bought by Wilhelm " so she named my dead father " shortly after he became com- mander of his regiment, because his new position required him to keep up a certain state. I take my dear old things, you have your boudoir ; we will have only three rooms, so you must be con- tented, Lotta." But Lotta would not be comforted. On the day when the dealer came to take away the furniture, she lay upon the sofa positively ill from weeping ; she sobbed day and night, and was pale and miserable, and finally we were obliged to send for a physician. "Nerves!" said the kind old man. "She must have change of air. It is a good thing she is leaving Berlin ; country air far from' the large city, that is what she needs." 1 6 Two Daughters of One Race. But I grew more anxious about her. On the last evening of our stay in Berlin she cried inces- santly. I sat down on the bed beside her and took her small, hot hand in mine. " Lotta, my dear sister," I begged, "have a little confidence in me. Is it not true that you are leaving something behind that " "Yes, yes," she sobbed, "all my happi- ness " " And your heart, little princess ? " " What nonsense ! " she answered in a changed tone as she ceased weeping. " I thought it must be so, because you are so unhappy, and Hans's friend came into my mind ; you know Eberhard von Stollen ? you have danced with him very frequently, Lotta ? " She did not answer immediately, but gave a low laugh. "Why should I grieve over him ?" she said finally ; " he has more debts than Hans had." " I know that. But if you love him it is one more reason for you to weep." " I marry a poor man ? " she asked brusquely. " Helena, you are foolish. It is so dreadful to be poor ; it is such a calamity. Even if he was a very god never ! No, there I would be a puppet again, and to that I will never agree." " Oh ! " I said, astonished, for my head began to swim for the moment. She certainly Tn>o Daughters of One Race. 17 had received his very marked attentions with pleasure. "What crime have I committed?" she in- quired. " You certainly did not discourage him." " That is true, while his uncle was still alive," she remarked dryly. I knew what that meant. The nephew had been regarded as the old man's future heir ; but now the uncle was dead, and the nephew had not been remembered. " So there are no prospects in that direction, now," added Lotta with a yawn. Such cool calculation affected me painfully. " I believe you do love him, and that is what you have been crying about." " That is all your imagination," she answered indifferently ; " I am not at all sentimental." " Then I need not distress myself further," I said coldly. " Not at all," she answered shortly, and turned her beautiful head to the other side. . I turned away bewildered and entered my dead father's room. The full moon cast her pale light in at the windows from which the curtains had already been removed, and showed me the blank, empty walls. My heart was indescribably sad. What had come over Charlotte in the last few 1 8 Two Daughters of One Race. weeks ? Had misfortune thrown these sombre shadows over her young spirit, or were these merely traits of an unlovely character which manifested themselves for the first time, now that the sun no longer shone upon our household ? There are souls who are made tender and good by misfortune, and there are souls whom suffer- ing destroys. I went to the window and looked out, trying to find some reason for Charlotte's words, and some excuse for her selfishness, but I could find only one. She had been too much indulged, too much pampered, by me, by our father, by our grandmother, and, last of all, by society. "Yes, certainly, we were to blame," I said to myself musingly. " Helena, what would you yourself have been, had the whole world lain at your feet, as at those of your beautiful sister, while your every wish was gratified even before it was expressed ? Would you be the quiet, demure, world-wise, old-fashioned little woman that you are now ? " It had been no light task to grow so sensible before my time ; life had as many attractions for me as it had for her ; and oh, I should have been so delighted to please and to shine in the brilliant ballroom. But no ; in society I was ever only Lotta's sister. The men called us Tu'o Daughters of One Race. 19 the beautiful Fraulein Werthern and "her sister." I heard myself so named once in conversation, and the words fell from the lips of one to whose laughter and chatting I had ever listened with delight with too great delight. " Her sister " and in such a tone, too. And then a young married woman behind me remarked that I dressed just like my beautiful sister, but she queried, " Did you ever see any two so unlike as those Werthern girls ? " On that night I stood before the mirror for a long time in my quiet room, and resolved never again to make a ballroom toilet, and I had kept my word. It seemed as though now for the first time I had wakened to a knowledge or distrust of myself. I found that my father, my grand- mother, Hans, even the servants, all looked on me as " her sister." Lotta Lotta was ever and always first, and I had unconsciously always con- ceded the first place to her. For a time I was very sad, but I quickly conquered all such feelings, and, strong in my determination to be of use, soon found myself necessary to all as house-mother and general adviser. Many a time the old hopeless longing for a life of gayety came over me ; then I would leave my housekeeping and my darning and go Daughters of One Race. away to my room, to bury my tearful eyes in my pillow. And after I had had my cry out, it seemed an easy matter to array the little princess for the ball and then take up again my house- hold cares. As time passed I became happier and more contented until the misfortunes came : our father dead, our brother far away and miserable, and we without means, quite with- out means when our aged grandmother should have passed away. How fearful, how desolate lay our future before me ! As I stood at the window in the moonlight, on this last night in my old home, I looked down into the small court at the acacia that had been my father's delight ; it was leafless now. The tree had always made me sad ; it seemed like a prisoner shut in between the gray walls of the back building ; to-night I thought there was no more beautiful outlook in the whole world. I felt I could not part from that lonely tree, upon which strange eyes would so soon look from out *his very window. CHAPTER II. YES, the parting was harder for us than we had imagined, although we left nothing behind but the dead past. There had been frost that morning, and the air was keen as we drove through the slumbering city to the station. We had taken leave of no one, and had been careful to conceal the hour of our departure ; so we were left unmolested, and could care for our baggage and slip into a third-class carriage v.'ithout notice. Lotta, who had paid out her last bit of pocket-money for a dog's ticket for " Schnips," sat like a sacrificial lamb upon one of the hard seats ; she was very pale, but there were no tears to-day. I made my grandmother as comfortable as I could with a pillow for a seat and a cushion for her back, and placed a stool under her feet. Lotta never stirred ; she looked straight ahead at the mass of houses through which the train cut its way, holding fast in her hands a great 22 Tu'o Daughters of One Race, bunch of violets which had been left for her the evening before with a card adorned with a coat- of-arms. As the train passed the few last strag- gling houses she threw the flowers out of the window with a violent movement, as though she would carry with her no reminder of what she had left behind. Then she took a deep breath, pulled her veil down over her face, and laid her head back, and so remained during her whole long journey. The landscape became more beautiful as we sped on our way ; we soon left the plains behind and entered a rolling country. The little vil- lages peeping out from the gay foliage of the autumn-tinted woods was an agreeable sight, with the cloudless blue of the heavens over- head. It was the first clear day after a long rainy season, September's parting greeting. All around us was so bright that my heart gained courage, and I soon found myself again making plans and building castles in the air. Who knows what Fortune might have in store for us at our journey's end ? Perhaps she already sat at the entrance of our little dwelling, and only waited for our arrival to pelt us with roses.- Lotta might find a prince, and our grandmother perhaps renew her strength in the exhilarating Two Daughters of One Race. 23 air and in the company of old acquaintances ; and who knows but some day there would come a knock on the chamber door, and who should be there but Hans, come back to us again, quiet and thoughtful, with all his frivolity left behind. That would be best of all. Then I aroused myself from my day-dreams, and moved nearer to my grandmother, took her hand in mine, and looked into the sad, faded face. " All will be well yet," I said ; " all will be well ! " The old lady nodded her head earnestly : " And why not ? Still it is providential that the future is hidden from us." Before the sun sank we were at the end of our railway journey. We stopped at Triebelsburg the nearest station to Rotenberg to take the stage to that village, for no railway went through it. " Now comes the most trying part of our jour- ney," said my grandmother. " I shall probably be half dead when you lift me from this seat of torture at Rotenberg, but it cannot be helped ; so come on. Lotta, give me your arm ; Helena, look after the luggage, and see it is safely placed in that Noah's ark." The long, narrow conveyance, drawn by two worn-out horses, which met my eyes as I hurried round the corner of the station, was no reassur- ing spectacle. 24 Two Daughters of One Race. A little to one side, however, a pair of large, well-fed dapple grays were pawing the gravel, and on the box of the fine old coach sat a coach- man dressed in a sort of livery. He was a splendid-looking young fellow, and held his whip, on which was fluttering a gay red ribbon, as a sentinel holds his musket, whistling the while a lively air. I was greatly impressed with the appearance of this equipage. I turned to look at it a second time as I passed along, and said tp myself, " If I only had that for grandmamma ! " Just then some one stepped in between me and the object of my admiration, and a man's voice said : " Pardon me, madame, but have I the honor of speaking to Fraulein von Werthern ? I am Fritz Roden, and have come to take you to Rotenberg. Our carriage is here." I was pleased with his kindly manner from the first word he had uttered, and laid my hand cor- dially in the young man's extended palm. It was a pair of honest, earnest eyes that looked down at me in a half-embarrassed man- ner, for Fritz Roden was a young giant and over a head taller than I, although I was by no means a small woman. These eyes looked out from under a high forehead, above which the blond hair lay in crisp curls, just as light and thick as Two Daughters of One Race. 25 our own Hans's. I had the feeling that this was not an entire stranger, and hastened to introduce him to my grandmother and sister, who were coming toward us, and who were rejoiced at the sight of a comfortable carriage in which to make the remainder of their journey, and to receive such kindly attention on the threshold of their new home. Yet there was unquestionably something awk- ward about this young man, for, as he now turned to grandmamma and Lotta, he did not know what to say ; he only stammered, and shook the old lady by the hand as he would a young com- rade ; and when Lotta, who had thrown back her veil and looked him well over, greeted him with a charming smile, he became so red that he was almost purple, and turned hastily away to call the carriage. When we had taken our seats he declined, red- dening still more, to take a seat by me Lotta could never ride backwards but swung himself up on the box by the coachman. Lotta regarded the coachman, the horses, and even the embroidered cover that lay on the car- riage cushions, with the same cool glance that she had bestowed upon Herr Roden. She found a comfortable place for the dog, between her grandmother and herself, drew her heavy black 26 Tu'o Daughters of One Race. veil over her pale face, in order to prevent her hair from being blown about by the evening wind, and then sank back into dreamland, as if that were the proper place. My grandmother slept, and Schnips laid his head on Lotta's lap, blinked a little, and then fell asleep also. The carriage went on steadily toward its journey's end, the sun sank beneath the horizon in fiery red, and the night came on quickly. I looked out into the distance so long and so steadily that my eyes began to ache, and when I turned to look at my companions I could only see them through a haze. Fritz Roden was still on the coachman's box, and had turned half way around to look at Lotta ; and when I looked at her I found she was staring at him also, but with a defiant expression in her beautiful large eyes, as if she would ask : " Who are you ? What do you want ? Is it really worth the trouble to observe you at all ? " I could not understand her in the least ; my feeling of happiness suddenly disappeared ; I felt chilled, and her expression angered me, al- though I could not tell why. After a little while Lotta leaned over and whispered laughingly in my ear : " They are all of one stripe, Helena, the heavy Two Daughters of One Race. gray horses, and the great man in the top-boots and jacket ; the horses will never run away, and he- She stopped abruptly, for at that moment Herr Roden turned around to us and said : " Now w<^ are almost home ! " It had by this time grown quite dark. The carriage went quickly through a dark lane, and then rattled over a wretched stone pavement, so that grandmother was aroused from her nap and forced to sit erect. Now we passed houses with bright lights shining through the windows ; then went through a gateway on to a broad, level car- riage sweep, overshadowed on either side by the branches of fine old trees, and beyond through the darkness I could discern a large rambling building ; and to the right a wonderful medley of walls and picturesque gables which reached high up toward the dark evening sky ; then we passed under another archway into the wide court. Bright windows welcomed us, dogs barked joyously around the carriage, which stopped before the hospitable, wide-open door, and from the entrance hall a little old lady came forward hastily to greet us. " Frau von Werthern ! " she cried, " what a pleasure ! Ah ! and the two dear children " The quiver in her voice told of the tears 25 Two Daughters of One Race. she kept back. And that was Fritz Roden's mother. I thought, as we delayed long at the bounti- fully supplied table, I should never grow tired looking at her kindly face. Ah, if I could only describe all that its gentleness expressed to me. We sat in a large room with low ceiling, and snow- white curtains at its windows. The floor was of boards and well polished. In the centre stood the table, with its coverings of fine homespun damask and its quaint old china. On the wall hung a large clock, and under it stood a heavy mahogany secretaire ; a great stove covered with yellow Dutch tiles stood in the corner and kept up a merry roar, and near by was a comfortable- looking easy-chair. And then there was the sprightly little hostess with her good face, and the blue eyes in which every now and then the tears glistened. How carefully the big son guarded his mother, as though she were a child, and how proudly she glanced after her only boy when he crossed the room, or when he in his quiet manner cor- rected her hasty speech. There was no trace of embarrassment here, where he was the master ; his position seemed suddenly to give him a dig- nity which sat well upon his youthful coun- tenance. Two Daughters of One Race. 29 He stood behind his chair and asked a short blessing, after which he took his seat opposite his mother and carved the wild-fowl skilfully. The two old ladies sat on either side of him, and Lotta and I completed the little circle. Lotta was silent, but no word or action of either mother or son escaped her. " One can readily see, Frau von VVerthern," said our friendly hostess, " that these two dear girls are only half-sisters ; they do not resemble one another in the least." " Yet a family resemblance is very percep- tible," responded my grandmother, who was always pained when any speech referring to the dissimilarity in our appearance was made. " Not the least vestige ! " declared Fritz Roden as he took a deep draught from his glass. " I believe it would be impossible to find one point of resemblance ; the one is a blonde, the other a brunette." Then he finished his glass and arose. " I hope you ladies will be pleased," he said simply ; " in the first place with our house, but more especially with your new home. You will not find it so bad here, after all. Men with kind hearts are to be found everywhere, and the sun shines just as brightly over our little Rotenberg as over Berlin's sea of houses. Our air is cer- 30 Two Daughters of One Race. tainly fresher, it blows over wood and field before it gets into our streets, and the snow is whiter and purer than in the great city, and even the roses are brighter and more fragrant. My heart's wish is that the roses of peace and contentment may bloom here for you all. What my mother and I are able to do for your com- fort you may rest assured we will, and with all our hearts." He shook hands warmly with each of us, and when he came to Lotta I noticed that the same half-contemptuous smile played round her small mouth, but he did not seem to perceive it. Frau Roden had taken both my grandmother's hands in her own, and her eyes were wet as she whispered that they would strain every nerve to make us comfortable in Rotenberg. " Have you ^ver been in Berlin ? " Lotta sud- denly asked the young man. It was the first word that she had spoken, and the vibrating tones of her voice seemed to strike Frau Roden unpleasantly. " I served my year in the army in that city," Fritz answered quietly. " In what regiment ? " " In the loth Guards." "In Hans's regiment ! " cried Lotta joyfully. " I knew your brother," he said, and looked at Two Daughters of One Race. 31 my grandmother critically, as though he feared to wound her. " He was, I suppose, your superior officer, and you were doubtless in his company," said Lotta, playing carelessly with her teaspoon on a fruit- dish. " You are almost right," he responded, smiling; " he had just become an ensign." " Hans has caused us great sorrow," began my grandmother suddenly ; " he brought his sisters to penury and sent his father to the grave. My son accompanied him to Bremen, from which port he sailed, and came back to Berlin ill from excitement and grief. On the following day heart disease ended his life." There was a deathly stillness in the room after my grandmother ceased speaking, only broken by the clatter of the spoon which Lotta let fall heavily on her plate. " A hard accusation," Frau Roden said at last. " But a just one," responded the old lady ; "he was a gambler." Lotta rose suddenly (like a wounded doe), and her great eyes filled with tears. " I knew nothing of that," said Fritz Roden. " I only know that once he gave his last piece of money to a poor soldier, in order that he might go home to bury his poor mother, and that he 32 Two Daughters of One Race. plunged blindly into the Spree in order to save one who was wearied of life." He looked toward Lotta as he spoke, and was answered by a glance so grateful and so warm that he became silent from embarrassment and looked into his glass. "Yes, that was Hans," she cried, "and I know many more just such instances. But such infre- quent occurrences are altogether out of the common track, and are rejected and despised as worthless to-day. Hans was a man who " " Who was very inconsiderate," said my grand- mother, completing the sentence, "just those traits which you emphasize show a lack of any earnestness and of any mature reflection. There is an old proverb : ' Over-great goodness is no goodness ! ' ' Lotta was silent, but she looked over toward the young man as if she expected help. But when he did not speak, and only nodded his head as if in approval, the old contemptuous smile came back to her lips, and she leaned back in her chair without any attempt to renew or sus- tain the conversation. Frati Roden and my grandmother continued talking earnestly together until the clock struck ten. My grandmother rose immediately. Candle? Two Daughters of One Race. 33 were brought to us in heavy brass sticks, and we were led through a great cold hall, which had about it a decided aroma of fresh milk, and up the broad stairs to the story above. Fritz Roden accompanied us thus far, and then turned and once more wished us happiness in our Rotenberg abode, and at the same time bade us good-night. Then he whistled to his great hunting-dog, who had lain near him all evening, and went out. " He always goes out the last thing before retiring, to see that all is right for the night," explained his mother proudly. " When my dear husband died, and he took charge of the estate, I was at first very anxious as to how it would all be managed, for Fritz was very young then ; but all went on as quietly and smoothly thank God ! as we could desire. The only thing he needs now is a wife, for I am beginning to realize that I am not now as capable as in other days, and prove at times of little assistance to him. But please turn to the left, Frau von Werthern." The large, square hall through which we were passing was lined with wardrobes and chests of drawers, and from it we entered our sleeping- apartments, where the high snow-white beds in- vited us to repose. 3 54 Two Daughters of One Race. Here, too, was a crackling wood fire in r Dutch stove a wise protection against the kee autumn air. A pleasant smell of lavender pe vaded the room. Everything was as cosey am snug as in the room we had just quitted. Our grandmother was to have a room with a single window next to ours. And now our kind hostess asked us a thousand questions. Whether we preferred separate beds, or would we share one ? Would we like milk or coffee in the morn- ing ? She promised to take us all to our new dwelling early the next day ; it was near her own home, and she had been particularly anxious to have us near her. And the rooms were very pretty ; they had been occupied formerly by a part of the prince's household. The building had been called the " Cavalier's House," and had been built by one of the reign- ing family, a splendor-loving man with a taste for rococo, who was used to entertain such quantities of guests that even the rooms at the castle were not sufficient for their accommoda- tion. The " Cavalier's House " was just oppo- site the castle, and on its second floor was this little suite of rooms where old documents had been kept. And Fritz had written immediately to see if they could be rented. And sure enough we "found that they could, and the rent went to Two Daughters of One Race. 35 the Children's Home which the duchess had recently founded. "Yes, that's the way it was." To be sure the walls looked a little dingy, but the beautiful wainscoting looked very well again, since Han- nah and Rieke had rubbed it well and polished it with wax. Everything, she assured us, looked most inviting now, and from the back room was a view into the garden. In the spring time that garden was one mass of purple lilacs, with their heavy perfume scenting the air, and just in the corner all the nightingales of Rotenberg assem- bled. And then she wished us many times a restful, refreshing night, and said that the young ladies must have a care about their dreams, for they would surely dream about their future bride- grooms, and all such dreams would come true. Then she went out and shut the door softly, as if we were already in deep slumber. " Good-night ! " said our grandmother, and went into her little room, and we began silently to prepare for the night. Lotta was still sitting in her white dressing-sacque on the edge of her bed, brushing her thick black hair, long after I had retired, and, when I was half asleep, sud- denly I heard her laugh softly. 36 Two Daughters of One Race. i " What is it, little princess ? " 1 asked, arous- ing myself. She caiije over to me and sat on the edge of my bed, and asked me to braid her hair for her. While I was dividing the long strands she laughed again. " Why are you laughing ? " I asked again. " Because I am amused," she said, standing up, and throwing the long braids back on her neck. " I think we are all so beautifully adapted to this idyllic existence ; I certainly am, at least. Good- night, sister, do not dream of this excellent youth, who has certainly come into this world a hun- dred years too late. To-morrow I will read ' Hermann and Dorothea' once more, and think of ' the comely son and the careful housewife.' " " I am pleased with everything here, Lotta," I said sharply. "Of course you are, you dear old soul," she answered carelessly. " Everything is so ancient and smells of the barnyard. You know you always had a fancy for village tales." " Hush, Lotta ! " " Ah ! I have a longing for Berlin, a deadly longing ! " and she sighed deeply. " If I remain here I shall die. I know it ! " And with this sorrowful prophecy she laid her head upon her pillow and cried as if her heart would break. Two Daughters of One Race. 37 I was nearly asleep again when I heard her call my name once more. " What is it, Lotta are you ill ? " But there sounded a low chuckle through the room : " Helena, did you see the large leather pocket, with its great heart of red morocco, which the worthy housewife had hung under her apron ? That is where she keeps her milk pennies ; she sells the foamy liquid herself. What would you think if ' the comely son ' fell in love with either of us, and, when the wedding-day arrived, we were given, as emblems of our dignity, not only slippers and hoods, but also the penny bag ? " And she laughed so merrily that I was perforce obliged to laugh too, although I saw little to excite mirth. Then I fell asleep, and, singularly enough, I dreamed I was at a large, white milk- table in the square hall, measuring with a glisten- ing tin cup the fresh white milk, and near me lay the penny bag, and on it flamed and glowed the morocco heart ; and in my dream I was so happy and calm and thoughtful. Frau Roden had not said too much about our future dwelling ; we had an abundance of room, much more than we had possessed in our palmy days. To be sure, we had to mount a small flight of 38 7u>o Daughters of One Race. steps which led direct from the garden. In former times this garden had been connected with the castle park, but it was now a part of the Roden estate. Once above, we found ourselves in a small vestibule ; the walls were ceiled with wood, and three white and gilded doors led out from it into our rooms. On the ceiling of the small room which over- looked the garden was a beautiful fresco framed about with garlands of stucco, rosy Morning in her bright and flowing robes, floating upon the clouds, surrounded by cherubs scattering flowers. Medallions adorned the corners. The walls on the other hand, had simply been painted white. The fireplace had been walled up ; and back in the corner, as if ashamed of its own shabbiness, stood a little rusty, round, sheet-iron stove. " The children will sleep here," my grand- mother decided. Frau Roden opened a door and called us to come out upon a pretty little balcony, enclosed by a lattice-work of wrought iron. It was a magnificent prospect. The wide gar- den, with bright, gay colors, lay at our feet, and through the branches of the trees, half bereft of their leaves, we caught a glimpse of the land Two Daughters of One Race. 39 beyond, and the blue mountains which lined the far horizon. " You can consider the part of the garden that lies beneath us as your own property ; for you will never be disturbed in it," said our genial cicerone. " It is a romantic bit of wilderness, and young people like that sort of thing. It was always a most attractive place to my Fritz when he was a boy. Whenever I went to seek him I was sure to find him seated under one of the high trees reading, but nowadays he has no time to lie under trees with his books. But here, dearest Frau von Werthern, these are the front rooms." They were indeed two stately rooms, with high windows, and rich stucco on the ceilings, and in each room a comfortable-looking Dutch tile stove. " This is better than we had dared to expect," said my grandmother joyfully. " Yes, dear friend. Not every one could have obtained these rooms. Or perhaps you think it would have made no difference to Fritz and me, who ran through our court and garden in order to get up here ? Yes, Fraulein Lotta, that is a very beautiful view, is it not ? Those splendid rooms of the ducal castle opposite are the ones which are always occupied when any of the fam- ily come to Rotenberg. And see, there is Anita 40 Two Daughters of One Race. taking advantage of this beautiful autumn day and throwing open all the windows." I stepped over by Lotta and we both looked across. We saw there a woman's figure leaning out of a high window as she threw the green Venetian blinds far back ; and from out the dim room behind shone a rainbow-colored light, as a sunbeam struck the crystals of the chandelier and touched the rich gilt frames of the pictures. Through the yellow silk hangings which the wind blew apart we saw the graceful figure of a tall, dark woman who stood at the window in meditation. She did not seem very young to the eye, but had a remarkably clear-cut face. There was something very singular in her countenance, and to me at least not altogether attractive. " Who is it ? " asked Lotta and I in one breath. The face of the old lady assumed an angry expression as she answered : " The adopted daughter of the keeper of the chateau ; she came either from Italy or Greece nobody knows which when she was about seventeen years old, I believe. The old governor was obliged tc. adopt her, for " She made a motion to my grandmother with her hand, as if to say, " We will not talk of he any more." Two Daughters of One Race. 41 "She interests me greatly," said Lotta. " Ah, she is no companion for you," said Frau Roden energetically, becoming very red in the face. " If you want company, our pastor has a fine little daughter, and the biirgermeister has three all honest, good girls." Lotta had turned around, and was looking with surprise at the vehement speaker. " I company ? I do not seek any here ! " came slowly from her lips. " Well, well," said the old lady appeasingly. " You have misunderstood me, dear child there was no harm meant. But you are entirely too young to become a recluse, and youth seeks youth. There are here, also, light young feet that dance joyously, and over in the town hall at carnival time there are beautiful dances and a fine orchestra ; you ought to see my Fritz waltz. Do not be angry, dear child ; so long as your heart aches, of course you do not think of gaye- ties. But, God willing, youthful pleasures and joys will return to you." Lotta had turned away at the first word, and did not again cast a glance at the speaker, but looked attentively toward the long row of win- dows in the castle walls. A low thicket extended along the wall and the turnpike road which lay between it and our 42 Two Daughters of One Race. house and led to the so-called castle square upon which the buildings fronted. This road termi- nated at Fran Roden's grounds, the entrance to which was concealed by a magnificent group of old chestnut-trees. After a little while my grandmother called me into the second room, which she declared she would occupy, and we began considering atten- tively how we would place our furniture. We consulted Frau Roden about a servant and a speedy supply of fuel, and finally came back to the front room, where Lotta still stood leaning against the window like a black shadow. I went up to her softly and put my arm around her waist, but she did not move ;'she nodded her head slightly, as though responding to some one's greeting, and looking out I saw Fritz Roden, with his gun over his shoulder and his dog at his heels, and some wild birds in his hunting-pouch. He had already replaced his hat on his head, and went on toward his home, looking neither to the right nor to the left. " The bear ! " said Lotta, half aloud. CHAPTER III. OUR first few weeks passed quickly. Our furniture had arrived, and we were busily em- ployed getting our rooms in order ; curtains now hung at the windows, the floors were carpeted, and grandmother's gigantic four-post bed, with its red hangings, stood in a niche that seemed to have been built on purpose for it in hel room. A bright wood fire burned in the stove ; my sewing lay on a table near by ; grandmother looked out of the window, and Lotta was at her easel, while Schnips lay contentedly in his basket near the stove. Everything was as it had been in Berlin, and yet how great the difference, I thought ; here all was so much better, and my heart began to beat quickly as I heard a heavy tread upon the wooden step outside, and, a second later, a knock on the door. Lotta looked up from her canvas. " Goodness ' 44 Two Daughters of One Race. there he is again ! " she muttered. Then the door opened, and Fritz Roden stepped across the threshold. " Good-morning, ladies ! Good-morning, Frau von Werthern ! " He had three roses in his hand, which appeared slightly frost-bitten, and he handed one to each of us. " These are the last," he said as he did so ; "I found them in a sheltered spot, and now, how are you all ? " He drew a chair near the window, and, sitting down, answered the question himself. " Well ? Of course, how could you be other- wise, living such a comfortable, quiet life ? " " We are getting to feel quite at home, dear Fritz, and we have you and your dear mother^ my dear Frederica, to thank for it." He became embarrassed, and made a slight bow without speaking. Evidently he was not accustomed to compliments. " You have helped us so greatly in all our arrangements," I said. " How about the chimney in the other room ? " he asked, leaning back ; " does it smoke yet ? " " No, I thank you ; it seems to be all right now." Lotta gave her easel a slight push back ; sh< Two Daughters of One Race. 45 was always impatient when household matters were discussed. " What are you painting now, Fraulein von Werthern ? " inquired our guest, as he rose to inspect the work on her easel. " A glacier," she answered. " Why do you not take some subject in our immediate neighborhood the old Stettenburg, for example, which frowns so defiantly from her steep rocks ? " " I paint what pleases me ; it is all a matter of taste," she answered rudely, with a slight curl of the upper lip. "What do you do with all these pictures you paint ? " he asked coolly. Her color became a deep red and she gave him an angry glance. But he did not seem to perceive it ; he glanced quickly at the walls, which were richly decorated with Lotta's works. " Ah ! " he said, " what a quantity, almost as many as there are yonder in the rooms of Prince Otto." " Are there fine pictures over there ? " Lotta asked, in an altered tone. " I am no judge myself." said Fritz Roden, taking his seat again ; " but I once heard a very fine painter from Diisseldorf say and he was no 46 Two Daughters of One Race. loubt a judge that there were three or four very line ones, but that the rest did not amount to much. There are so many amateurs' pictures in the collection. Prince Otto himself painted some of them during the two years he spent here, was obliged to spend here, in fact." "Who is this Prince Otto?" asked my grand- mother. " He is the youngest son of our reigning prince, and the favorite of his ducal mamma ; otherwise he is to a certain extent the terror of our neighborhood." " What is the reason of that ? " Lotta was greatly interested now. Fritz Roden did not pay any attention to this question, and changed the subject by asking my grandmother how she liked the pastor. Lotta sat quite still and gazed at the windows of the castle opposite, behind which the rich hangings glistened. " Are those the rooms ? " she asked, interrupt- ing our conversation. " What rooms do you mean ? " he asked, " those where the pictures hang ? " " Yes, I miss the Berlin gallery greatly, for I could always copy there," and Lotta rose sud- denly from her seat. " Why do you not paint from nature, Fraulein Two Daughters of One Race. 47 von Werthern ? You do not know how many pict- uresque views there are in this region ; and few of them have been transferred to canvas as yet." She shook her beautiful head. " I prefer to copy. I wonder if I should be allowed to see those pictures just once ? " " Certainly ! The castle is open. If you de- sire, I will go across with you at any time." " Yes, indeed ! Let us go immediately," she answered with animation. " Immediately ? " he said, smiling ; " it is now three o'clock, and will soon be dark." " I beg you, let us go at once," and she went quickly into the adjoining room and returned soon, with her wrap thrown over her shoulders, and a scarf on her head. " Now I am ready," she said gayly. " Will you not accompany us ? " asked Fritz, as he held the door open to allow my sister to pass out. "Not this time, thank you," I said, "but I will prepare the supper. Will you not return and sup with us ? " " I shall not have time to-night, Fraulein Helena," he answered cordially. " I will come in another time, perhaps to-morrow or the day after. Farewell." They went away, ancj I took up my basket of 48 Two Daughters of One Race. keys, and went into the small room that had been placed at our disposal for a kitchen. I realized suddenly that I was in a very disagreea- ble frame of mind. For years I had been ac- customed to be little considered, but to-day for the first time something within me rebelled. I would have given much God knows to have been able to throw my bunch of keys at another's feet, and have said to her : " Now you can toil and moil with the prose of life ; you can make the coffee and cut the bread ; I have no time, I must away with my friends ! " The little room was still as death ; only the kitchen clock continued its regular ticking and admonished me of my duty. The tears which I could not keep back rushed into my eyes and fell upon the brown coat of the hare which lay on our kitchen table. Aimlessly I stroked its soft fur. for I knew Fritz Roden had laid it there. Scarcely a day passed in which I did not have a similar surprise ; some- times it was game, sometimes fowl, sometimes delicious fresh butter. But to-day it seemed to me like an insult, and I felt like throwing the poor dead animal out of the window. " It is revolting," I said aloud, " this obtrusive charity." And I ill-naturedly took up the poor object of my wrath, to hang it in a cool place, Two Daughters of One Race. 49 and there in the mouth of the little lifeless ani- mal was a r^d rose. I could not help being amused, and, as I laughed, I realized how silly I had been, and quickly overcame my spiteful feel- ings. So I took the rose and put it carefully in water, and after a while I pinned it on my black dress and went in to my grandmother, who noticed it at once. " Ah, ha, Helena ! " And as my face crim- soned, she added teasingly : " You have already made a conquest of his mother : I dare tell it to you, for it will not make you vain, Helena. My God, it would be great good fortune." " Ah, grandmother," I stammered, breathless. " I am very tired, child," she began again, and stretched out her hand to me. " Now that all is over, I know that the excitement and the sorrow have been too much for me in my last years. Ah, Helena, it would be great good fortune," she repeated. Then she nodded across at a wide-open win- dow in the castle. There stood our little princess and playfully threw kisses at us ; behind her we could see the smiling face of Fritz Roden. " She is very beautiful, our Lotta," said the old lady. " I think she becomes more beautiful every day." And then, fearful of wounding me, she turned to me and said : " Beauty has many 4 50 Two Daughters of One Race, advantages, Helena, and yet " here she stroked my hair softly with her hands, " and yet she is no more to be envied than you." I kissed her dear hands, I did not begrudge Lotta a single charm. October passed quickly, and the last of Novem- ber was upon us, with its disagreeable, dark, misty days, its storms and its rain. In Berlin such weather was not unusual in the late autumn ; but the gas-lighted streets, the heavy shutters on the houses, and the protection the great mass of buildings gave to one another, all prevented our feeling so keenly the severe weather ; we had never known how the storms came rushing down from the mountains and roared around an iso- lated house. In the city no high trees moan and sob in front of the windows, and on bleak nights no owl hoots from the steep-roofed gables. There are no ghost stories, no spirits that walk about on stormy nights. In Berlin all had been matter-of-fact and commonplace. But to me there was poetry here in every nook. The wind sang its wild songs, and I often lay awake far into the night listening to it, and thinking of the old stories and legends which Frau Roden had told us about Rotenberg, when she had come in Two Daughters of One Race. 51 at twilight for a little chat with her dear, dear Fran von Werthern. We took walks in the woods near by with Fritz Roden, and he showed us the place where an old castle had formerly stood ; but now a group of blackthorn bushes grew on the mossy ground. The woods were very still in their winter sleep ; only the withered leaves rustled beneath our feet, and sometimes a crow flew upward, screaming ; but nothing else disturbed the perfect quiet. Whenever we came to the fir-trees, with their keen, fresh odor, I was reminded of my child- hood, and remembered with what ecstasy I had greeted just such trees on many a Christmas eve. And Fritz would often tell us, in his sim- ple, honest manner, of the time when he, with his brothers and comrades, had made here a knight's fortress and there a robber's cave, or had hunted the squirrels and gathered nuts ; and how, when evening came, they would go home with red cheeks and terrible appetites. Fritz said to this day no apple tasted as sweet to him as one of the pippins from his mother's cellar. We were much together, indeed, daily. It was settled that we were to dine every Sun- day at the Rodens'. We must also help to eat every Martlemas goose that was killed, and assist 52 Two Daughters of One Race. at the breakfast after a slaughtering. It was very delightful to me, so homelike that I could think of nothing more charming. How the wind seemed to carry my feet as I went to the dear old lady ; and she would ask my advice and question me as to whether I was interested in this or in that. And then she would stroke my cheeks and say : " I like to see such color ; our air is cer- tainly better than that in Berlin." "Ah, a thousand times better," I answered, as I followed the dear old soul around, much as Schnips followed Lotta. Sometimes, in the even- ings, Lotta and I would play duets ; the mother and son would listen devoutly, and Frau Roden would tell us of the songs of her youth, and how fond she had been of singing " From the Alps Resounds the Horn ; " and often Lotta would forget her high and mighty manner and laugh as heartily as any ol us. Yes, those were happy days, in spite of the care which had followed us from Berlin into our modest little home, and the small income upon which we were obliged to live. I was often forced to go begging to my grandmother with empty hands. " Helena, Helena, we are living too well," she said. " You must provide a simpler table." A simpler table ! Two Daughters of One Race. 53 Grandmother's sight thank God was poor ; she did not see how often Lotta's lip curled over our "Lenten diet," as she called it. I was always careful to give her the best the "able offered ; but she grew more capricious in her temper every day, nothing pleased her. To me it was always spring, each day seemed as bright and warm as May. There comes a time in every life when there is just such bright- ness, and every day is a festival. For the same familiar steps sounded frequently upon the stair, and when he came in the room it seemed to be flooded with sunshine. " It was a great, great piece of good fortune," grandmother's eyes said constantly, as the care- worn old lady leaned back in her easy-chair at the window. It was the first of December when I came back from the village with Frau Roden, who had already been making a few purchases for Christmas. Wherever we went we were received with a respect which bordered on reverence. The whole existence of this woman was so fresh- hearted, so healthy, so comfortable ; she never gave to any one more than belonged to him, but she was always so just to the people round about, and always knew the right thing to say. "Now we will go home," said Frau Roden at 54 Two Daughters of One Race. last, as we stepped out of the butcher's large shop. " Positively, child, there is snow these are the first flakes." The air was indeed filled with the great white stars, some of which were finding a resting-place on the black ostrich plumes of Frau Roden's bonnet. " Now, dear child," continued the old lady as we turned our faces homeward ; " Fritz has been telling me how beautifully your little Lotta paints. Why could she not turn her talent to some account, in order to help you ? " I stared at the speaker stupidly. " I mean, sell the pictures," she explained. " Lotta paint for money ? Never ! " I said emphatically. " So ? Never ? Well, you are harassed with work, while the little princess dabbles in colors at her pleasure. You are doing wrong." " Ah, but Lotta is so peculiar," I said apolo- getically. " Peculiar ! Is she ? Well, then, what will she do when you marry ? " She looked at me so steadily that I felt embar- rassed. " Oh I ? " I stammered. " Yes ; do you not think there are many men who would like to possess so sensible a girl as Two Daughters of One Race. 55 you ? What would a man want with such a spoiled doll as Lotta is ? Good Heaven, what would I do if such a little princess were to come into my house ? I should at once declare that my Fritz had lost his reason. Just imagine ! she rises at nine o'clock, and spends her whole day in painting, and playing with her dog. She never thinks of giving him anything to eat, but she fondles him by the hour. No, dear child, God preserve every upright man from such a wife. She is your sister, certainly but here we are home again. Listen, dear Helena, it is my habit always to have punch and roast apples the evening the first snow appears. And I want your grand- mother and Lotta and you to spend this first evening of winter with us. And give Frau von Werthern my greeting." We were standing at her door, and I now said "Good-by." " Good-by," she said, and gave me a friendly nod as she gathered her long silk mantle around her and went up the steps ; and as I entered the garden I turned around for one last look, and saw her still standing there, and her son with her. They both looked after me with a friendly nod. The old lady's words had moved me deeply ; they came to me like a message from another 56 Two Daughters of One Race. world ; and while I walked under the bare trees toward our dwelling, the thought which up to this time I had with difficulty suppressed, took possession of my heart with irresistible force. I saw myself in the house yonder, before which I had just been standing : I went through ail the rooms ; and i knew I had a right to be there, a sweet, holy right. I said " Mother " to a dear old lady. I stood by her side by his side. From the moment of our first meeting my heart had turned to him. I, who had never had a love passion and who had long believed myself beyond all such youthful follies, was taken captive by the earnest eyes and the still, quiet manner of Fritz Roden. And to-day had not his own mother said that I indeed might please a man, might make him happy ? The warm blood rushed to my cheeks, and I sat down, almost dazed, on a stone seat under one of the lindens, and looked with burning eyes across at the gables of the great house. Ah, " her sister ! " The Cinderella might be pardoned for hoping, as countless women had done before her, that happiness would come to her too, if the man to whom her heart belonged would choose her and lead her to a home of comfort, peace, and joy. " Ah, no, no ! for God's sake do not think of Two Daughters of One Race, 57 it; do not," something within me whispered r "the awakening would be too fearful." "But I love him," whispered my heart; " nothing can alter that ; I love him and shall always be true to him. I love his just, unchange- able nature, love him for his great, warm heart and old-time dignity, I love Fritz Roden." And I sprang up from the bench with glowing cheeks, and hastened on through the fresh-fallen snow, as though fleeing from myself, until I stood with fluttering heart at my own door. Within, I heard a strange, sharply accentuated voice. As I entered, the small, dark daughter of the keeper of the chateau rose and bowed. A pair of gleaming, eager eyes looked out at me like stars from beneath their long, dark lashes. These eyes were not faded, and were the only youthful part of the small, pale countenance whose sharp features must once have been ex- tremely beautiful. Lotta came to meet me with a joyful cry. Fraulein Anita had brought to her permission from the court chamberlain to copy at the castle whenever she desired. " At the castle ? " I said uneasily. " Will they not intrust a picture to my sister that she may paint here ? " 58 Two Daughters of One Race. " I am very sorry," said Anita, " but that would not be allowed." " But the rooms are cold," I ventured to demur. " I am authorized to heat them," she answered quietly. " You will be afraid, little princess," I said jestingly ; " for perhaps there is a white lady haunting the rooms over there ; think if you were alone " " I will take the liberty to remain in the adjoining room," interrupted her small, dark visitor. I remembered suddenly the words of Frau Roden : " She is no companion for you, child." " And I will take the liberty of accompanying my sister," I said, as I looked at Anita, whose eyes seemed to attempt to penetrate into my very soul, as if she would ask : " Who has told you about me, or my past ? What do you know of human love and hate and passion ? " But she only said, " As you will," made me a slight bow, and wished us, after an absent- minded fashion, an Italian a rivederci, and was gone. CHAPTER IV. "LITTLE PRINCESS," I said to Lotta, who stood with sparkling eyes before her easel, " I think it is hardly the thing for you to go over there to paint." " Because you begrudge me the most trifling diversion," said Lotta, as her beautiful face be- came pale. " Because you do not at all under- stand how I smother and suffer in this seclusion, in this hiding-place, neither you nor grand- mother nor any one else. You cannot conceive what I endure. You cook and bake and are highly delighted if you make a good pudding, and I oh, I stifle ! " And she sank upon a chair, and began weep- ing so bitterly that grandmother came out fright- ened from her own room. " Why, Lotta ! " was all she said. But Lotta had worked herself into a passion ; she raised her tear-stained face, and the words fairly streamed from her mouth. " What is our life here ? We rise early, and then spend our evenings sleeping, and in between times one long, 60 Two Daughters of One Race. endless span of weariness. And what do I hear ? Helena's ceaseless questions about the house- keeping expenses, or a chapter from Scott or Frederika Bremer. Who comes to see us ? The sober wiseacre, who oh, how I hate him, this village bear ! or do you think it is a pleas- ure for me to see that egregious pedant from across the garden coming in, in his top-boots, to drink a cup of coffee or take a walk with us ? What is there to see in this town ? What do 1 care that the pastor lives yonder, and the biir- germeister here, or that Martin Luther compared this handful of red roofs amid the trees to a dish of boiled lobster dressed with parsley ? Do you think it any pleasure to me to listen to that preacher on Sundays with no teeth in his mouth ? it's enough to bring sinful thoughts into one's head to hear him. Or to admire the countrified toilets of the Rotenberg fine dames ? Surely not. Oh, I hate this crow's nest, this owl's re- treat, until I am nearly driven to despair. And now I am not to be permitted to go to the castle, because that woman has a history. Can that injure me ? Am I, then, a child ? " And she stopped for lack of breath. " Ah, little princess," I begged anxiously. " Let me do as I please," she threatened, " or I shall do something desperate." Two Daughters of One Race. 61 " Well, well, you little fury," said our grand- mother, smiling, " what would you do, for example ? " " Oh, there are many things possible," said the girl crossly. " Think how Erna von Wallinitz married a beer-brewer out of despair." I laughed heartily at this, but my grand- mother answered, half earnestly, " She made a respectable match ; he is an honest, intelligent man." Lotta shrugged her shoulders. " You will not prevent my going over there," she asked, half commandingly, half questioningly, " or " " Or you will marry a beer-brewer," said my grandmother jestingly, as she took up her knit- ting again. " Oh, there is also the gawky agriculturist," murmured Lotta, and she threw a glance at me that seemed to strike to my very heart. Sud- denly she flew to me and threw her arms around my neck. " No, Helena, that is impossible ! that is impossible ! " And she laughed. " What do you mean ? " I asked severely, as she laid her inconsiderate hand on my heart's secret. " What do I mean ? What a dissembler you are, after all, Helena." And she laughed merrily. 62 Two Daughters of One Race. "But, never mind, sister mine, you shall not be teased." I had told grandmother and Lotta of our invi- tation to the roast-apple feast. My grandmother was not well enough to go, and Lotta had no desire. " It is such a bore," she sighed. " I beg you to spare me these heathenish rites and solemn discourses. You can listen to it all, Helena, and eat the roast apples for me." "And how will you spend the evening?" "Sleeping," she laughed, "what else? I wish you much pleasure, sister Helena, and present my compliments to your " " Lotta ! " I said sharply. " Well, good-night," she said, yawning, as she threw herself upon the sofa and took up a book. I stood for a while before the mirror in my bedroom and studied my face ; had I then no beauty whatever ? " Too much color," my grandmother had al- ways said. " Her hair has no distinct shade at all," my stepmother had once remarked. Certainly I was not at all like Lotta : but no one could be as beautiful as she. I smoothed back my simply arranged hair and felt the thick knot at the back, then I fastened on my cloak, sighing. What maiden is beautiful enough in Two Daughters of One Race. 63 her own eyes when she wants to please her lover ? It was already late, and I hastened through the garden and across the court ; the December wind howled dismally through the high trees, and hastened my footsteps ; I went quickly into the vestibule, and could scarcely shut the door. " Here you are ! " said Frau Roden, " all alone, through the night and wind." And she led me kindly into the warm, bright sitting-room, where upon the snow-white covered table were the punch glasses, the spice cake, and the fine large roasted apples. I made my excuses for my sister as best I could. " Just say Lotta would not come, dear child. Always be honest ! Had I invited her to a box in the theatre at Berlin instead of my own sitting- room here, she would have been well -enough to go. Well, I thank you all the more for coming." I looked at her in surprise. Upon her face was a deep flush, and the manner in which she rattled the platter and glasses, and then sat down in the corner of the sofa, knitting rapidly, had an energy and haste about it that was foreign to her. " Sit down, my good child ; my son will be in immediately." 64 Two Daughters of One Race. And she drew me down beside her on the sofa. " Are you not well, Frau Roden ? " I asked, for her hands were trembling. "Well enough," she answered, "but I can- not tell you. We think we are swimming on a sea as clear as glass, and forget that there are storms, and lo ! there blows a hurricane in our faces ; as if an ocean without waves, a life without strife, were possible. But when the storms come from the side," she broke off, and was silent for some time. Then she began again : " The ex- perience we gather in our life's journey ne would willingly give to our children. We would gladly stand by their side with counsel and aid ; but youth will go its own way, throwing the gathered gold to the four winds, and then seek- ing with much trouble and disappointment fresh nuggets which have never been tested in the crucible. " It has to be," she continued, " but I feel un- speakably sorry for him, for her, and for us all. " There he comes," she added, sitting erect, and trying to control herself, while I felt my heart throb as if it would burst. The next moment he was in the room. " Alone ? " was his first question, as he gave me his hand. Two Daughters of One Race. 65 " The little princess had something better to do," said his mother. He seated himself silently, but his face was dark. Several minutes passed, during which no word broke the painful silence. At last he rose, rang/ and ordered the punch to be brought in, then filled the glasses and passed them to us. Then he reached his right hand across the table to his mother, and looked at her with a supplicating glance. She began knitting rapidly again, but from her mild blue eyes I saw the tears fall upon her work. " Mother ! " he said beseechingly. Then she leaned across the table and whis- pered something in his ear. I did not hear what it was, but I caught a few words, whose signifi- cance I did not then understand. " The other, Fritz, the other ! " He shook his head. " The other ! " she begged once more. But he did not stir ; his hand, however, still lay on the tablecloth, waiting to grasp his mother's. " Let us talk it over to-morrow, Fritz," she said, greatly agitated, as she seated herself again. He remained inflexible. " Give me your hand," he begged; " it cannot be otherwise, never ! " 66 Two Daughters of One Race. She laid her hand in his for a moment, then hastily raised her handkerchief to her eyes and left the room sobbing, and we were alone. We could hear the wind rattling the wooden shut- ters, and moaning through the leafless tops of the chestnut-trees ; here within was light and warmth and two young throbbing hearts ; he and I, just as I had pictured it a thousand times. He took his glass and pushed mine toward me. " Drink your punch, Helena," he said inatten- tively. Our eyes met for a moment, he looking like one intoxicated. " Helena," he began hesitatingly, and with a sound in his voice that made me lean my head back, almost breathless with happiness ! " He- lena, let us be honest toward one another." " Surely ! " I said. He rose, and began to walk up and down the room. " Why did not Lotta come ? " he said abruptly, stopping before me. As I glanced at him, the intense look on his face embarrassed me. " She I believe she is not well," I stam- mered. He turned away, and began again striding rap- idly up and down the room. At last he came Two Daughters of One Race. 67 back, sat down opposite to me, and seized my hands. But he let them fall immediately, as his mother at this moment entered the room. <4 1 will see you later," he muttered, and went out. " You wonder what has come over us all," began my hostess. " I may as well tell you at once, for it concerns you too. Fritz are you ill ? " she asked anxiously. " Ah, Helena, I had wished it otherwise, my dear child ; you must know that Fritz loves your sister ! " Presence of mind in distress was a trait that had come to me from my father. The presage of happiness had made me feel so weak I had nearly fainted ; now I turned calmly toward the tear-stained face that was regarding me so anxiously. She took my hand, thinking from my fixed stare that I was astounded. " Ah, you are surprised, dear heart," she con- tinued, as the tears still fell on her cheeks. " I was also surprised when I heard it. We were standing on the steps, looking after you to-day, and I said why may fnot tell you ? ' Fritz, that is a girl after my own heart.' Then he became pale, and turned suddenly and left me. But when I was resting in my easy-chair between five and six o'clock, taking my twilight nap, he 68 Two Daughters of One Race. came in and sat down on a stool at my feet, as had been his habit when a child, but not of late years, and then but love makes fools of the most rational. She has certainly turned his brain. From the first moment that he had set eyes on Lotta, he had been resolved, he told me. When she threw back the veil from her travelling hat, he had been dazzled by her beauty. At first he said she would be no suitable wife for him, it would be madness ; but now he sees clearly that life would be nothing without her. Ah, child, what can a distressed mother do ? If she should bring the stars down from the heavens and lay them at his feet, he would yet want the one thing the girl he loved. Ah, I know how it will end ; he will be unhappy, very unhappy ; but he will not be advised." " Do you believe that Lotta returns his affec- tion ? " I asked quietly. " No ! But what does that matter ? She will become his wife for his money." I was silent. Lotta's words came into my mind : " It is so dreadful to be poor ! " " I must go home," I said, and rose. I felt almost suffocated. Frau Roden dried her eyes and helped me on with my cloak. " Dear, good child," she said, and patted me on the cheeks, " I have loved you dearly ; we Twv Diiigniers of One Race. 69 will hold together ; I have had a presentiment that with your family a change would come into my life but this is not the change I looked for- ward to." As I entered the hall, I saw Fritz Roden stand- ing there with his coat and hat on. " I will accompany you," he said, and we went out together. The wind had gone down, and, looking up through the leafless branches of the trees, we could see the moon in its splendor, peeping out from beneath the dark clouds. A deathly stillness reigned over the house and gar- den, an unspeakable anguish was in my heart. I went on quickly ; only to be alone with my torturing pain ! Only to be alone ! " Helena," he began, "you know all. Are you angry with me ? " Angry that he loved Lotta ! This one ques- tion showed me my error, my foolish hopes, in a glaring light. Love me, notice me, when she was near ! " No, certainly not," I answered bitterly. " Will you speak to her for me ? " he asked. And as I remained silent, he begged me urgently. " I cannot do it, Helena. When she looks at me from under her long lashes, it's all up with me. I am diffident and awkward ; you tell her how much I love her, and that I will fulfil her every wish ; she shall never stumble over 70 Two Daughters of One Race. the rough places in this life ; I will take her in my arms and carry her over them all over them all over them all, Helena." He had seized my hand and forced me to stop. The moon was shining down full into his face, and I saw his earnest, loving eyes, and saw, too, ho\v his mouth twitched nervously. And once more he repeated earnestly : " Over them all, Helena ! " " I will do what I can," I said, scarcely capa- ble of speech. " Ah, thank you, Helena, thank you ! " he cried, seizing my right hand. " If you knew what sleepless nights I have passed on her account, what a martyrdom I have lived through since I first saw her ! A hundred times was I on the way to reveal my secret to you ; she loves you so tenderly." " I must go home," I stammered, trying to free my hand from his, but he held it the more tightly. " Do not let me wait too long for an answer," he begged ; " speak to Lotta soon, to-night if possible," and he trembled as he spoke. " I am not such an impatient man, .Helena, but this sus- pense grates on every nerve. I am like a man on the rack. You will speak to her immediately, will you not ? " Two Daughters of One Race. 71 " And if Lotta does not return your love ? " He stared -at me. " That is not possible : This affection cannot be one-sided ; it is too strong, too earnest and true, Helena ! " I must have laughed bitterly at this, for he looked suspiciously in my face. " What I say has a presumptuous sound, has it not ? " he con- tinued, " but I believe I am almost sure, in fact that Lotta is not indifferent to me. You have never thought about it at all, Helena ; only a lover's heart can discover when his passion is returned. But go now, and be my good angel ! " He pressed my hand again. " To-morrow, early, send me a single line ; good-night ! " I groped my way up the dark steps ; but my feet suddenly refused to do me further service, so I sat down on a stair and tried to become master of my storm-tossed thoughts. My first thought was one of shame and intense mortifica- tion. What could have possessed me, vain, pre- sumptious, foolish creature that I was ? Each day since coming to this place did I live over again every meeting with him, and I could find no moment when he had given me reason to believe he loved me. To Lotta he had come, with Lotta he had gone, for Lotta only he had had eyes ; I had only been looked upon as " her sister," as 72 Two Daughters of One Rate. the guardian or nurse of the little princess. Ah, Lotta, I begrudge you no happiness ; only not this only not this ! And now I must go in and speak with her. As if Fate had not made the drink bitter enough for me. What had I done that God took from me all the roses, and left me only the thorns ? So I sat in the cold upon the steps, with my feet like ice, and my head and the palms of my hands burning. I was almost strangled with shame and anger, but could neither find tears nor words to comfort myself. Why had I come here ? Why ? At last I rose, feeling stiff in all my limbs, and went in through the family room to our bedchamber. A lamp which was suspended from the centre of the ceil- ing was burning. Lotta could not sleep without a light, and she had saved this one by tears and pleadings from the Berlin auction-rooms. It threw a rosy glow through its delicate Bohemian glass shade upon the frescoes and stucco gar- lands on the wall and upon my mother's furni- ture. All was noiseless within, and Lotta was sleeping; she lay on her white pillow, and the hair, which I did not braid this evening, was tumbled back in a confused mass. She breathed so softly that one could hardly be sure there was life in the beautiful creature. Two Daughters of One Race. 73 I sat down on the bed beside her, still look- ing at her intently, and an uneasy feeling came upon me as I looked. She seemed so helpless in her sleep, and there was a drawn look around her mouth that was seldom seen there ; there was a something in her countenance that dis- turbed me, disturbed me against my will. She could not help being attractive ; could not pre- vent the " bear " falling hopelessly in love with her. For in every fairy tale the beast falls in love with the beauty. It was her destiny, her fate she dare not scorn it ! And he ? No ! I whispered, and knelt by the sleeping girl. No one had done me any wrong. I alone was to blame. And then the hot tears came, and, as I tried to stifle my sobs, a half cry broke from me. Lotta was awakened suddenly from her sleep, and looked toward me, while I put my handker- chief in my mouth and forced myself to appear composed. " For God's sake, Helena, what has hap- pened ? " she cried, trying to straighten her dis- ordered hair. " Nothing, Lotta, nothing ; only a message I have for you ; but first be quiet." " A message ? Haven't you been crying ? " she queried. 74 Two Daughters of One Race. '' Now listen very attentively, little princess, and let me speak." " That sounds very solemn, Helena." " It is something very serious, Lotta." She grew a little uneasy now. " Well, go on, speak out," she said. " Fritz Roden loves you, Lotta, and wishes to make you his wife." Lotta gave me one glance,, and then threw her- self back on her pillow and began laughing ; she laughed until the tears rolled down her cheeks ; the merriment came from her very heart. I have never heard any other laugh as contagious and as hearty as Lotta's. I threw my arms around her and laughed too, although, my heart was breaking, and mine was a sad laugh. " Oh, I shall die ! " she cried at last, drying her eyes. " Did you not know that he loved you ? Did you never perceive it ? " I asked, almost afraid of the answer. " Oh, of course ! He fell in love with me the first day he saw me. One had to be blind not to see that. But that he wanted to marry me, that is so so " and again she broke into a hearty laugh. "But it is no laughing matter," I said, pro- voked, and shook her by the shoulders, " Lotta, be serious for once, I pray you," Two Daughters of One Race. 75 Then she became quiet and looked at me. " What do you want me to say ? " she asked. " Do you not love him, little princess, not even a little ? " I questioned. " Do, for heaven's sake, be earnest ! It is not a rose that you are offered, it is a true heart, the unconditional confidence and trust of an honest, good man." " Ah ! do not become sentimental," she said sulkily. "Lotta," I begged, "that is no answer. I only want you to consider it well. I would not speak with you at all, only I know he loves you well only as a good man can love a woman and that you will love him, must love him, in return, for he is unquestionably good "Ah, bah! that is sheer nonsense, Helena; go to sleep," she interrupted. "No, no, Lotta; promise me that you, if you become affianced to him, will do all in your power to return his love ; become his wife with this purpose in view, Lotta, or else give him an honest No ! He may not be very miser- able." " How tragic ! " she said. " Now let me go asleep. I am tired and have had enough to think of to-day since grandmother ordered me to be more considerate." 76 Two Daughters of One Race, She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss, and, before I was ready to retire, was sound asleep again. Poor Fritz ! I shed no more tears that night, and toward morning I fell into an uneasy sleep, dreamless but heavy. When I wakened grandmother was by my bed. " Are you ill, Helena ? For God's sake do not get ill ! " " I am quite well," I answered, as the memory of yesterday came slowly back to me. " I will rise immediately." " I heard you moaning," she answered. " I have been awake a long time. Helena, I want to speak to you is she sleeping ? " and the old lady pointed toward Lotta's bed. " Yes, she never wakes until eight o'clock." " Do not be startled, Helena ; I have had a letter from Hans," whispered grandmother. " How is he ? What is he doing what does he say about papa's death ? " I asked. Grandmother shook her head, and smoothed her white hair nervously with her hands, and whispered to me : " Badly, Helena ; the letter was very sad. He has been very ill and needed money, and no inconsiderable sum." Two Daughters of One Race. 77 " 111 ! Ah, grandmamma, and we have noth- ing !" "No, we have nothing," she repeated. "I cannot help him, and if he gets worse and dies, as he threatens well, he must grow worse and die ; I can do nothing." I did not answer. I knew that she was right. " Please do not say anything to Lotta about it ; you know how devoted she is to him. And she will not see it as we do, nor will she understand that the money is all gone." " Will you answer his letter, grandmamma ? " " No," she responded. " How much does Hans want ? " "Eight hundred thalers. He has an oppor- tunity to engage in some business from which he hopes to make great profits. I would willingly grant this last request, but " and she shrugged her shoulders " where am I to get it ? You must try and influence Lotta if you can ; last evening she was almost unreasonable ; she does not seem to understand that we have given up our luxuri- ous life because we were forced to do so. She came to me with a lengthy order she had writ- ten to a Diisseldorf firm for artists' materials, amounting to almost ten thalers. I tore the letter in two. Then she cried as if the direst misfortune had come to pass. With Hans's un- 7 8 Two Daughters of One Race. happy letter I also received another, a bill from Gerson for a new black costume which Lotta had ordered, and which is to come to-day. It is certainly not necessary for Rotenberg : I do not see how it is to be paid." She arose wearily and turned and went out. There are days when one knows it will not be clear : times when one almost believes the sun will never shine again, and when our very exist- ence lies as a burden on our souls. I rose and dressed myself quickly. I heard the old servant moving about in the kitchen ; soon she came into the next room, and I heard her voice. " Fraulein ! Fraulein Helena ! " What did she want ? Then I remembered the word that Fritz Roden wanted, the word for which he had begged ; but I had no word for him. Cautiously I went over to Lotta's bed ; she reached out her small hand and caught the fold of my dress. " Helena, one moment," she begged, in a weak voice. " What is it, Lotta ? " " Helena, I have had such fearful dreams, though of course that is nothing very unusual ; I want to ask you a question. Do you consider Two Daughters of One Race. 79 Fritz Roden a good character ? Answer hon- estly, Helena, you know what I mean generous, in no way narrow or egotistical, a gentleman ? " " O God, Lotta, do not ask me ! " I begged. " I consider him one of the best men in the world ! " " But answer me ! Do you believe he is a gentleman ? " "Yes, I do believe it," I murmured. She was silent, but looked up at me with a face as white as the linen on which it rested, and with an earnest, frightened expression. " Well, let him come," she said, almost de- spairingly. "You will accept him?" I stammered. "Lotta, do you really love him? Otherwise my God, Lotta ' " I will accept him," sounded back from the pillow in a half-smothered tone. Almost dazed I stepped into the next room. The woman was still standing waiting for the money to buy milk and rolls. I tore a leaf out of my account-book, and wrote " Yes " on it. Then I folded it and addressed it. " Go up to the great house and give that to Herr Roden, but to no one but himself." She gave me a sly look and went, but at the door she turned around. 8o Two Daughters of One Race. " Then what the people say is true," she began. "Ah, I will not speak of it, Fraiilein von Werthern." " Of what ? " " That you are Fritz Roden's sweetheart ! But it must be true, he gets a good wife. When you are married, I shall go to the church. You may not believe it, Fraiilein, but he would not take every one ; a great many fine girls have run after him. But the Rodens have always kept themselves apart. Ah, do not blame me for speaking, Fraulein ; I shall go at once." She went. I had no word of blame for the stu- pid creature. I covered my face with my hands. I Fritz Roden's sweetheart ! Ah, great God ! At eleven o'clock everything was in readiness for the lover's reception. My grandmother sat in her accustomed easy-chair in her black silk gown, with her knitting in her hand, but she made no pretence of work, I noticed ; the unex- pected news that Fritz Roden and Charlotte von Werthern were betrothed seemed to bewilder her. " Did he mean Lotta ? Are you sure he really meant Lotta ? " she had already asked me several times. " Yes, dearest grandmamma." " And she will have him ? Lotta, you are going to marry Fritz Roden?" Two Daughters of One Race. 81 " Yes," came the answer more than once from the white lips of the girl. She stood with list- less arms at the large stove ; she had something thrown around her shoulders, and looked chilly and pale and singular. The luxuriant hair that had always hung down her back was fastened up to-day on her head, and gave one the impres- sion that she was years older than she really was, and yet she was startlingly beautiful, more beau- tiful than I had ever seen her before. When the well-known step sounded outside, she shivered and became pale almost to livid- ness ; she seemed as if she wanted to escape ; then she fixed her wandering glance upon a pic- ture which hung over the sofa Hans in full uniform ; a finely finished photograph, that I had purchased with the limited pocket money I had received. She was nervous and agitated, one could see at a glance. My grandmother went to the door when she heard the knock, and opened it herself. As she did so, I went into my own room and shut the door behind me, to hear nothing to see nothing only to be alone with my deadly sorrow. Could it be possible that one could endure such agony and not die ? So I stood and heard the voices, that sounded muffled and indistinct on my ear, heard the agitation in the voice that had yester- 6 82 Two Daughters of One Race. day been so full of anguish, saw his face before me so earnest and quivering with emotion. I nervously clutched the handle of the balcony door, and looked out at the dreary wintry land- scape with desolation in my heart, and no hope to which to cling. A light step sounded behind me, and Lotta sank suddenly in a chair by my side. She did not look like a joyous bride. "Come with me," she whispered, and grasped my hand. " I am going to his mother." She looked at me so piteously that I could not do otherwise than consent. We took our hats and cloaks and went out together into the living-room. He was holding my grandmother's hands and talking to her. His happiness had made him talkative. He was assuring her of his great love and of his thankfulness, and the old lady stroked his blond head, as she said, " I believe you, dear Heir Roden, I believe you." I gave him my hand, but could not look at him. He whispered his heartfelt thanks to me, and then rose hurriedly. " My mother is waiting," he said. " Helena is coming with us," said Lotta, like an alarmed child. He was silent ; he had hoped to go alone with Two Daughters of One Race. 83 Aer, but she caught hold of the folds of my dress, and so we three set out on the now familiar path, the bare branches of the birch- irees drooping above us. He walked beside the slender figure, but her finger-tips scarcely rested on his arm ; when they reached the court she 4rew her hand back. <; You had better go up the walk by yourself." " Let me have the joy of seeing you by my side," he begged, drawing her arm once more within his. "Yonder is my mother standing at the window." So they crossed- the court together, and Frau Roden came to the door to meet them when she saw them approaching. The tears were running down her cheeks as she held out both hands to Lotta. " God knows best," she said, and drew the young girl to her heart. And when we had followed her into the sitting- room, she repeated : " God knows best. Oh, if you will but make my son happy, he is my all " She sank in her chair and began weeping loud and bitterly. Lotta stood opposite her, perfectly silent. She and we all felt that the old lady doubted her capability to make Fritz happy. The b-idegroom-elect perceived this with bitter- ness, 84 Two Daughters of One Race. " Mother ! " he called sharply. Then she dried her eyes, and tried to act as though all were well. She went to her escritoire and took from a small compartment a glistening ornament in the shape of a cross, and set with diamonds. "This," she said, the tears shining the while in her kindly eyes, " was given me by my dear husband on the day on which we were betrothed. It is for you now. May it adorn as happy and contented a bride as was I when first I wore it." The beautiful girl held the glittering cross in her hand without the slightest sign of emotion ; then she leaned over and kissed the donor, and murmured some words of thanks. Fritz Roden now opened the door, and called through the hall with a lion's voice : " Here, my people ! Mamselle, Rieke, Mina ! Come here, all of you ! " And the whole household soon appeared, even to the last kitchen maid and the coachman and the stable-boy. Fritz put his arms around Lotta's waist and drew her to him. "Here, my dear bride, are your people ! To- morrow you can have a holiday in honor of our betrothal. You, Mamselle, can arrange for it. Ah, David, come here, and give me your hand. The first time she and I ever saw each other, you were Two Daughters of One Race. driving us. You brought the bride here, and you shall drive us to our wedding. Shall he not, little Lotta ? " I wondered whether she thought of that first evening, and of the spiteful comments she had made. She stared above the heads of the people into the empty air, and a deep flush overspread her face. She seemed to answer with a slight bend of the head, and turned away quickly^ So Fritz Roden had to take all the handshak- ings and congratulations upon himself, while she stood with tightly compressed lips at the window. In her bearing there was something of impa- tience, as if she would throw a burden from her shoulders. CHAPTER V. Two weeks had passed since the betrothal. A wonderfully short time ! But it lay like lead upon all our hearts ; the only sunbeam to be found was in Fritz Roden's eyes. Every day at five o'clock he came up, and remained with us until evening. Generally he had a little package in his hand, or playfully hidden behind him, and he would hide it in Lotta's work-basket, or throw it unexpectedly into her lap. There were odd gifts wrapped in these little parcels, such as only a man living in a little town would purchase : fancy writing-paper and painted envelops ; wonderful work-bags with useless scis- sors ; and thimbles much too large for Lotta's finger ; perfumes that were simply frightful, and time and again costly bouquets of fragrant vio- lets ; these last at least were appreciated. I was sorely puzzled by Lotta's manner of receiving these gifts. She was always coolly gracious ; but I often thought she would have thrown them out of the window before his very face had she dared. Two Daughters of One Race, 87 She put them all together in a bureau drawer which she had emptied for that purpose. She avoided his tender, loving glance persist- ently ; and his playful manner received from her but slight notice, and never any response. She had certainly become very quiet lately, with so proud a manner that a lover less enthu- siastic than Fritz Roden would have desponded. In these days she obtained, unperceived by him, such control over him that she managed him exactly as she had done the puppets in her thea- tre, when, as a child, she had pulled the silk cords at pleasure. She never took his arm when we went for our walks, and gently but positively refused to make any calls upon the friends of the Rodens who lived in that vicinity, because she was in deep mourning. He let that pass. In fact she did as she had always done as she pleased. He came no more in top-boots, because she had expressed her distaste for them. He looked more like what he was, the owner and manager of a large estate ; and he left off wearing his gay-colored cravats, because she did not consider them seemly. In fact he humored her slightest whim, and seemed only to have one desire to gratify her wishes before they were expressed. Grandmother looked on apathetically. Dear 88 Two Daughters of One Race. old lady ! she had altered greatly ; now that thfc excitement and tumult of the sad change she had been compelled to make was over, it was all the more noticeable. She was more silent than ever, and deeply absorbed in religious medita- tions. Frau Roden came sometimes with her son, and then she went to grandmother's room, where they two talked over old times. Fritz would sit down opposite Lotta, and I would sit alone at my sewing-table. It was just before Christmas. A cold, rainy, disagreeable day. Lotta sat with clasped hands and looked out of the window ; her profile was turned toward her lover, and he was, as usual, lost in admiration as he gazed at her. At last she turned from the window. " Is it not true, Fritz," she said, quite carelessly, " that you are a wealthy man ? " He started and laughed, and reached out his hand for hers. " Well, little princess, we will have enough to live on." " I want to ask you something," she said, "but I do not wish Helena to hear." I rose at once. " I will go and make the cof- fee," I said, smiling. A quarter of an hour later I went into our sleeping-room and found that the door into the Two Daughters of One Race. 89 adjoining room was open, and as I hastened to close it I heard Fritz say : " I will do anything you wish, Lotta, but not that ; it would be most imprudent." After a while Lotta came into our room and went over to the mirror to arrange her hair. I saw that her hands trembled, and a dark, red color burned on her cheeks. "Helena," she said, "we believed that at least he was a gentleman. We were mistaken." With a violent movement she opened the ward- robe door and took down her hat and coat. " I will be back soon," she said, " and in the mean time you can entertain my precious lover." And she was gone. As I went hastily into the living-room, I found Fritz before the piciure of Hans, looking at it with knitted brows. " Where is Lotta ? " he inquired. " She has gone out. Did you not know it ?" " No." He appeared disturbed. " She is vexed with me," he said. " Do you where the obstinate child has gone ? " .1 shook my head. " She will be back soon," I said. " Well, I will go out and find her," he said quietly, and went as he spoke. But he did not succeed, for she came back shortly and alone- " Where have you been, Lotta ? " I asked- 90 Two Daughters of One Race. " Oh, just out a short distance," was the an- swer. After a time Fritz Roden came back too. He carried, as always, a package in his hand, which he laid by Lotta's cup, and looked at her be- seechingly. But, for the first time, no notice at all was taken of the little love gift ; not once did she glance even inadvertently toward it, though it lay so close to her cup. " Not cross, little princess ? " he said at last, jestingly. She gave him one look ; it was a glance of unspeakable contempt. "Oh, no," she said, " but I could not suffer you to be so imprudent. I will take nothing more." He laughed heartily. " Lotta," he cried, "that was spoken like a wife whose husband had re- fused to grant her request. You maidens and wives are extravagant in your whims. But see, sweetheart, here are chocolates and dates, in these little bonbonnicres" He had opened the package and held up be- fore her the little silk bags. " I am no child I thank you," she responded, and took a fresh cracker and bit it. " Shall I go away ? " he asked pleasantly. " Pray do," she responded with a graceful movement of her hand 'toward the door. It Two Daughters of One Race. 91 seemed almost as though she were laughing. And that hurt him. He sprang up. *' Then farewell, for you are incorrigible." She rose likewise. " Adieu ! " At the door he turned, anger and good humor each striving for mastery in his face. He came back, and raised her chin gently until he looked full in her face, and asked : " Do we love each other, or not, Lotta ? " " I hardly consider it worth while to think about that," she answered coldly. " Lotta ! " he cried, shocked. But she went past him quickly into our sleeping-room. He stood silent for a few minutes, then went out, for- getting to say good-by. To me the whole scene was altogether inex- plicable. "Lotta," I said, as I went after her, " I do not desire to interfere in your affairs, but it was not right in you to send him away as you did." " Oh, don't bother ! " she said impatiently. She sat before the little stove, with her feet pressed against the iron projection, and the firelight play- ing over the daintily-fitting shoe. It had grown quite dark in the room, and I could not see her features or read their expression. " Well, Lotta ? " I said, after a time. 92 Two Daughters of One Race. " I have believed that he would be an assist- ance to us," she said, "have thought that he would be able to raise us above our trouble ; what it costs me to speak to him no one can understand. And what answer did he give me, after all his protestations of love, after his re- peated assurances that my every wish should be to him as a command ? " And now she mimicked his voice and manner. " ' No, my child, you do not understand, and therefore do not ask me.' God in heaven, Helena ! I have gone to him like a beggar, have humbled myself for the first time in my life only to be repulsed." " But he is so prudent and sensible, little prin- cess ; if he refused you something, you know it was for the best." " Oh, yes, very prudent," she said with a sneer ; "but this reasoning is cold as ice, one freezes when one comes in contact with it. Give me im- pulsive, warm, impassioned deeds ; an act where the left hand knows not what is done by the right, one spark of magnanimity. You seek in vain for it in these creatures here, who live like moles in a mound. Ah, that my lot should be cast among such country bumpkins ! " " But tell me what it is all about." " Oh, you will not understand me. Hans needs money, must have money, or he is lost." Two Daughters of One Race. 93 " Great heavens ! " I cried, " you have not been begging for Hans ? " " Yes, for he has only me, and I love him best in the whole world. I overheard your conversa- tion with grandmother on my betrothal morning, and " she faltered " I should have said noth- ing not yet ; but last evening I received a let- ter from Hans, and I know well that he will be brought to great misery and ruin if something is not done and done soon to save him ; so " and her voice became shrill " so I went to him and begged him to assist Hans. And he he got on his high horse ; spoke of what he would do for me, for all of us here ; but that he was not foolish enough to throw his money into the water, and that one would not serve Hans thus only injure him ; for only misery, hunger, and sorrow could change such natures into respectable human beings. Oh, he spoke very well, very pru- dently, and very like a worthy biirgermeister; but by so doing he removed the mask from his face, and I saw his true features ; a wretched, miserly, narrow man. He is' thoroughly contemptible." " No," I cried ; " Lotta, you exaggerate. No, believe me, he was right not to give Hans money. He would only gamble it away in an hour, as he did here. Have some respect for the man whose possessions are the result of work and fulfilment 94 Two Daughters* of One Race. of duty, the money would only be thrown into a bottomless pit." She took the tongs and poked the glowing coals with them ; then she sprang up suddenly and began wringing her hands. " Helena, I believe I hate " She stopped abruptly, for there was a noise on the outer door. I hastened into the next room and opened it, and found the coachman outside ; he held a note in his hand and smiled slyly. " For the young mistress," said he. I lit a lamp, and then took the letter to my sister. She scarcely knew whether to read it or not. She took it hesitatingly, opened the en- velop, and drew the letter out. A postal order for one hundred thalers was folded inside, which Lotta evidently was expected to despatch. She became pale as death, and hastily put the little strip of paper on a chest of drawers by which she stood. "Extraordinary generosity!" she muttered ironically. After several minutes she read the letter and then handed it to me. " Not a sermon this time," she "aid, and turned away. This is what Fritz Roden had written : Two Daughters of One Race. 95 " I cannot be happy, dearest, knowing that you are sad and angry with me, and especially when I remember that I have denied your first petition. I enclose a note for one hundred thalers, which I trust will relieve Hans'sembarra-s- ment. By this post I send a letter to a friend of mine in New York, requesting him to hunt up Hans von Werthern in the hospital, and to talk with him over his future plans, and communicate the result to me. He may rest assured of my help, if I receive a favorable answer. I trust I have proved to you that I am not so parsimonious as you seem to think ; credulous and blindly trustful I am not. I like to feel the ground upon which I tread. " And now this affair is settled, and I trust that when we meet in the morning it will not be mentioned. " Good-night, my love, and be good to " YOUR FRITZ." I looked across at her, and wondered that she had not hastened to write him a line of thanks immediately. But she was standing perfectly quiet, and when she did at last turn around, her beautiful face wore its usual indifferent expres- sion. She sat down under the lamplight and took up a book and began reading. Nothing further had been said about the copy- ing of the pictures since Lotta's engagement. She had neglected her easel altogether. She sat the greater part of the time in the broad window- seat, leaning on her elbows, holding her head in her hands, lost in thought ; she seemed in a lethargy all the time, 96 Two Daughters of One Race. My grandmother lay in bed in the adjoining room. She was not exactly sick, she said, " only tired." I went back and forth between the two rooms, with fear in my heart, as I looked at the tired old face that gazed up at me with a smile, and begged me to have patience with her, and then at the young girl, who looked worn and tired of life too, but gave me no friendly glance in return. Some days she was remarkably gay, and began to paint her future life in spiteful humor. " Only think what I will be able to do when I marry this wealthy, generous man. I can have a cake or two more at -my little entertainment than Frau Superintendent is able to offer, and the brocade in my gown will cost a thaler more a yard than that worn by Frau Post-director. Yes, I will have great privileges when I become Frau Roden." And at other times she would send Fritz to the seventh heaven by her graciousness and her con- descending familiarity. But generally she was silent or morose, and worried us all with her insufferable whims, and her pleasant moods were but few. " For God's sake, Helena, what is the matter with Lotta ? " the ardent lover would ask despair- ingly. " Who has vexed her ? What has put Two Daughters of One Race. 97 her out of humor? Perhaps she will confide in you." I shook my head, denying all knowledge of her feelings. But I nevertheless believed that I did know, and that she felt herself oppressed by her engagement to him. What would be the end of it all ? I often asked myself. Christmas came and went, and Lotta's lap was filled with its treasures. It was pathetic to see Fritz seeking to fulfil her every wish, leaving no stone unturned to win from her a smile of approval, but she had literally none to give him. Our exhortations that she should paint him a picture, or send him some little piece of work from her own hands, were all in vain. We always received the same answer. " Do not disturb yourselves about me. Will I knit him a pair of mittens like those Rieke made David ? Do not bother me we are entirely too poor to give presents." All his gifts to her were put carefully away in the bureau drawers ; she touched nothing, she used nothing. " Lotta," I begged, " do not vex him so greatly. You certainly can afford to accept presents from the man whom you intend to marry. It looks to me as though, sooner or later, you intend to break with him." 98 Two Daughters of One Race. " Oh, no," she answered ; " I shall not do that at all ; but let me alone, and do not torment me ; I will do what I think best." " Little princess," I began afresh, " be honest, for heaven's sake, be honest. If you do not love him it is not too late yet " " Do not vex me," she answered impatiently, " and attend to your own affairs. I know .what I am doing." Near at hand was a heart that, with the unerr- ing instinct of mother-love, knew her son would have much to suffer. Frau Roden did not hesi- tate to express her honest indignation at Lotta's conduct. " Helena, Helena ! " she said to me bitterly one day, " she does not love him ; what kind of a marriage will it be ? If he was only not so infatuated with that pretty face, and would come to his senses again. Ah, dear Hel- ena, what has my dear boy done to deserve such treatment ? " And she dried her eyes furtively, for her " dear boy " must not see her weeping. She would say nothing further to him on the subject ; for if she discouraged him and made him heart- sick, he would become incensed against her and not come to her any more with his confidences. So, whatever his Lotta was, she was to him all he desired. It was he alone that would have to Two Daughters of One Race. 99 put up with Lotta's whims. Marriage is a mat- ter in which no third person should interfere. " He was never hasty or passionate in all his life, Helena, but he would come to me immedi- ately after and throw his arms around my neck, craving my pardon, and showing from his inmost heart his anxiety to make amends for any sharp words he had spoken. Oh, I know my dear boy, I know him well." Our days passed slowly and uneventfully ; and we entered upon the new year, the memorable year of 1870, with no suspicion of the storm which was shortly to burst upon us with such fury. In our sequestered corner of the earth, time seemed to stand still ; January and Febru- ary passed with their usual accompaniments of snow and icej with March the thaws began melt- ing the snow from off our mountains, and permit- ting the little violets to peep forth in the gardens surrounding us. And Lotta went out in the warmer sunshine to gather the fragrant spring flowers that grew beside the walls. Grand- mother would sit on the balcony, carefully propped up with pillows to breathe the soft spring air. The brown swelling buds were com- ing out rapidly on the branches of the trees, and the little shrubs were shining once more in their too Two Daughters of One Race. renewed clothing of emerald green. As far as eye could reach, the newly-sown fields gave promise of the harvest to come, a hope always dear to the aged. " I cannot tell," said the old lady, looking intently at me as I sat opposite her, " whether it is my bad sight or not, but to me you seem greatly changed. Where has your round face gone ? " " I am quite well, grandmother ; but Lotta looks bad." I looked down at Lotta as she walked with slow steps up and down by the wall. She would stoop over, as though lost in thought, then straighten herself up again, and a second later be stooping once more ; and now she stood erect, for Schnips rushed off with a bark to meet Fritz, who was hastening forward to greet his betrothed. She gave him her hand and a nod of greeting as he put his arm around her waist, and remained as apathetic and listless as was her wont these last few months. He spoke eagerly ; I could hear his voice from where I sat, although I could not catch the words. She listened patiently ; at last she took up her long black gown and turned and came toward the house. " No, it cannot go on this way any longer," I Two Daughters of One Race. 101 heard him say as they entered the house together. A moment later they were in the living-room, and I went in at once to greet him. He looked red and excited, and was stroking his beard, a habit with him whenever he was deeply moved. '' No, it cannot go on any longer this way," he repeated, as he shook hands with me. " I must have my own way in this. Helena, you must stand by me ; you advise and help me to persuade Lotta that it is best for us to be married in May." She had taken no interest apparently in what he said, and stood passively near him. As he caught hold of her hand at the last words she drew it hastily back, and a deep color overspread her pale cheeks. But she answered never a word, only shrugged her shoulders. At this his face grew darker. " But why should we wait any longer ? " he asked. " I cannot bear to see you so sad, so idle. Nothing pleases you now that used to in- terest you. You do not read, you do not play on the piano, you do not paint at all. If we are married in May, we can travel ; I heard you say once that you would like to go up the Rhine so we will go there. A change will be the best thing for you, and you will become your old self again, sweetheart. Js that not so, Helena ? " io2 Two Daughters of One Race. She whom he loved so dearly answered noth- ing, but stood silent and turned a deaf ear to his pleadings. " Now, say yes ! " he coaxed. " Everything is in readiness for you at the house ; the final arrangements will be the care of mother and Sister Helena ; they will make it comfortable for us. And we will come back at harvest time, when everything is so cool and inviting in our mountains. Now, say yes ! " He had spoken half jestingly, but I could see his whole heart was in his request notwith- standing. But Lotta did not say "yes." She turned and went over to the window and looked out at the castle walls opposite, with their large bright windows ; then, after a long pause, she said, with- out turning around : " I cannot decide so quickly, and papa is not dead a year yet." He looked across at me : he was evidently both anxious and puzzled. But he urged nothing further on that day. As though relieved of a burden, the young girl came suddenly back from the window. " I am going to paint again," she said ener- getically. " I will take advantage of the per- mission that has been given me to copy over Two Daughters of One Race. 103 there at the castle ; there is a picture of still- life in the yellow chamber that has pleased me greatly. I will go across at once and ask if I may commence to-morrow." And she stepped in front of the silent, moody man, who watched her intently, and patted him on the arm. u No glacier this time, Frederick a still-life picture, and when it is completed you can have it if you wish it." It was the first time in many a day perhaps, indeed, the very first time she had spoken to him thus. He forget that she had, after a child- ish fashion, put off any decision as to their future, and that it was as uncertain as ever, forgot every- thing but the fact of her unexpected friendliness. A happy smile came over his face. " Yes," he said, " paint the picture of still- life soon, my dearest ! " Lotta began her painting at the castle with great zeal. The hangings were drawn back from the win- dows in the yellow chamber, and at times she would come to one of them, holding her canvas up for me to catch a glimpse of it, and giving me a contented nod at the same time. It seemed to me that her countenance had become animated again ; she chatted at table, and 104 Two Daughters of One Race. did not sit by the hour staring into space as she had done nearly all winter. The old charming smile, half roguish, half childish, played again at times around her mouth ; but whenever she dined or spent an evening with Fritz's mother, at his earnest solicitation, she came back looking pale, and wearied, and com- plained that she was nervous. She said the old lady oppressed her with her prosy manner and still prosier talk, just like a burger's frau, and she had hard work to avoid yawning when she was in the middle of one of her twice-told tales. The old lady knew nothing of the last new novels, and had never heard any of Offenbach's gay operas. On the little desk, with her Goethe and Schiller and Lessing, lay a book entitled "The Palladium of Noble Womanhood," with golden rules for wives and maidens. Lotta had looked the book through once, and had laughed heartily at its old-fashioned illustra- tions and quainter text. Frau Roden naturally enough resented Lotta's sneers, and Fritz was in a very uncomfortable posi- tion, because she complained to him about all his sweetheart's shortcomings. The simple songs which Frau Roden had played and sung in her youth were commented upon with commiserat- Two Daughters of One Race. 105 ing kindness, and for three days Lotta nick- named her future mother-in-law the " dear moon," because she had innocently related how fond she was of the song, " Dear moon, you move so silently," and how often she had sung it when she was a bride. Fritz's mother in her turn declared that the melodies from Offenbach which Lotta was fond of playing were mere empty jingles, and she brought out some of Beethoven's sonatas, which Lotta spurned as too antique and solemn. Yes, the little princess was intensely bored ; she could not appreciate the contentment which comes to a human heart after years of painful striving, when it has grown old in labor and trouble, and can look back with pride upon a long and honest life. Such a serenity was to her simply insufferably commonplace. Up in the great gable room sat four seam- stresses working on the household linen. " Children, I beg you," the practical old lady said one day, " do not make up any linen, for I have quantities of it piled away in chests aiid on spindles, and it would be great waste to get more. Fritz is my only child, and this linen has been accumulating since my grandmother's time. There have been no daughters in the Roden family for three generations only sons, And 106 Two Daughters of One Race. it is a blessing that now there will be a reason for letting it see the light." And then she would show us the piles of costly linen and damask of the finest, upon all of which she was having the initials C. V. W. daintily embroidered. " For," said the kind woman, turning to me, 'no one need know that Lotta did not bring them with her ; the people about here are so curious and talk so much. I told the women upstairs you had no place for them to sew over at your rooms." But Lotta took little heed of all this. She did not act as a thankful daughter should have done toward the old lady. This girl, who came with empty hands, and did not contribute a penny's worth toward her own outfit, gave expression to no word of thanks ; there was no feeling of grati- tude for all the thoughtfulness and considera- tion that was shown her. According to her notion it was from the other side that thanks were due ; she turned away care- lessly, and threw her beautiful head back with an indifferent toss, vouchsafing but a passing glance at the good things of life that were being especially prepared for her. No word had been spoken about Hans since the eventful evening on which Lotta ha-" 1 quar Two Daughters of One Race. 167 relied with her lover ; but I learned that Fritz had, upon the receipt of a letter from his New York friend, sent off some more money, for which Hans had asked. And no answer had been re- ceived in return. *I said nothing about the matter, for I was ashamed of this miserable begging ; and Lotta never mentioned her brother's name again. The spring time came on gently, with its soft breezes and clear, fragrant air, bringing with it its old but ever new joys the songs of birds, the blossoming of flowers, the fresh, vivid green wherever the eye turned and before the April days were gone the nightingales were once more under our windows. I do not know why I cried so much ; whether there was in my mind a pre- sentiment of what was to follow, or whether I felt within me the consciousness that there was spring time and happiness for all the world be- sides, but for me there was nothing. I led a strange life at that time. I can say nothing more. I knew that my days were like a slow stream running on between two unattractive shores, with care and labor and dismal thoughts that made one silent and sad and dull. I saw before me the great endless stretch of time ere I should be as old as my grandmother, and I prayed in my heart : " Good God, do not let ,08 Two Daughters of One Race. me live so long." It was a fearful experience through which I passed. The one thing which caused me the greatest uneasiness was the ear- nest, sombre face of Fritz Roden. He also is not happy, I thought ; for he is battling against his better judgment. He can struggle yet with the fears that oppress him ; but for me there is no hope ; all is over in my life. " Will you not come over and see how I am getting on with my picture ? " asked Lotta, one morning, as she was starting for the castle. " Come over for me to-day ; there is much that is worth seeing, aside from the pictures. All the furnishings and adornments are wonderfully rich and beautiful, and are of the time of the first Napoleon. Anita declares they are all quite origina 7 , ; it is something to see in this age of monotonous sameness. Or will you be too much engaged in arranging your toilet for the supper at the great house to-night ? I suppose one could not get out of going to it ? For what a triumph the gentry of Rodenberg will at last be pre- sented to the future Frau Roden." " I have nothing to prepare for myself, Lotta," 1 answered. " I shall wear my black silk gown, but I would like to get in readiness something Two Daughters of One Race. 1 09 suitable for you. I think your soft white silk would do nicely ; for you know, as the betrothed of the master of the house, and the guest in honor of whom the supper is given, you should be as attractive as possible. I will take off the blue ribbons and put black velvet o les in their place, if you say so." She did not answer me, but I saw that her face wore a fretful expression. " Will you come ? " she asked evasively. " Yes, Lotta. But I do not know how to get to the rooms. I will come over about half-past eleven, when grandmother takes her nap." " Ring at the large middle door, and when you are admitted go up the steps and through the glass door to your right ; that will bring you into a long corridor, then you come to the seventh door on your right. Good-by till then." By half-past eleven I had finished the changes that were needed on Lotta's gown. It was an elegant costume of rich white silk and golden white cashmere. She had had it made to wear at a bazaar at the palace of a Russian ambassa- dor, where she was a flower-girl in one of the booths the last time that she had seen the shim- mer and glitter of fashionable life. I shuddered as the past came before me so clearly; one can hardly understand how trifles which make no no Two Daughters of One Race. impression at the time can come back so vividly in after-days. I had almost forgotten my promise to Lotta, but I made haste and started for the castle. As I passed by the great house I saw all the windows thrown wide open, and caught a glimpse of the mistress herself with her dust-brush in her hand, but so busily engaged that she did not notice me. Ah, the preparations for this evening ! And I could not help thinking how rejoiced they were that Lotta had finally yielded to Fritz's entreaties to allow an announcement supper to be given in honor of their betrothal. " Dear child, one must live in the midst of these people," she had urged, " and they take an interest in all that concerns us, just as we do in them ; and, believe me, there is no harm in possessing good friends and kind neighbors. And I want Lotta to be friendly with every one. It will do her no harm, and prevent people gossiping among themselves. You know, Helena, that every one here believes her to be proud and unamiable, and she certainly gives them reason to think so. She will not visit them, and hardly seems to notice them." Whether Lotta would ever be friendly or cor- dial with the Rotenberg people I could not tell: Two Daughters of One Race. in but I did not like to think about it at all, for 1 greatly feared the contrary. And now I found myself under the great linden-trees that surrounded the principal en- trance of the castle, and was soon ringing at the door Lotta had indicated, upon which was a plate with the name, " GOVERNOR." The door was opened immediately, and I stepped into a large hall with broad flights of stairs going up on either side, with two bronze knights as sentinels at their base. As I ascended the marble stairs I looked with interest at the rich and historic frescoes which adorned the walls, and the magnificent bronze chandeliers. The cool, damp atmosphere- struck me painfully, and I shuddered at the almost ghostly stillness which is a natural accompaniment of uninhabited rooms. When I reached the top of the stairs I found a large vestibule, inlaid in white lacquer-work, hung with purple curtains, and finished in a rich but antique fashion ; from the windows I caught a glimpse of the courtyard with its prim-looking plots of grass. Large glass doors afforded an exit from both sides of this vestibule ; and going through the left one, as Lotta had directed, I found myself in a long, dimly-lighted corridor, whose walls were broken here and there by folding-doors, ii2 Two Daughters of One Race. niches with statuary, and bronze candelabra. 1 counted the doors until I came to the seventh, which I opened, and as they swung noiselessly back I entered a small anteroom. The floor was covered with a soft, thick carpet, and the walls were hung with Gobelin tapestry ; over the marble mantel hung a mirror framed in prism-cut glass, which gave a golden, glistening effect to the entire room. Two doors, each covered with Turkish portieres, led out of this room into inner ones, and a superb copy of Battoni's Penitent Magdalen hung above a richly-carved piece of furniture, half buffet, half cabinet. I stopped suddenly, for, almost as I entered, I heard my sister's rich, clear laugh, as I had not heard it since we left Berlin, so silvery, so strange, for I had almost forgotten its sound. And this laugh was followed by the full, deep tones of a man's voice, as he said gayly : " You do not believe me ? " I stood motionless when I heard it. Glancing at the mirror above, I could see Lotta's profile, as the glistening frame threw its many-colored rays over her ; her finely-shaped head, with its coil of dark hair, seemed to rise out of the yellow satin frame of her chair. She sat at her easel, her back half turned to me, as she looked at the speaker, who was standing by the canvas on Two Daughters of One Race. 113 which she was painting ; a man's face, upon which was stamped the imprints of youth and good fortune, out of whose blue eyes shone a happy, light-hearted gayety. He was looking at my sister with a glance of ecstasy, much as a painter would look at an old master's work. The sight filled me with anxiety. " No, your highness," I heard her repeat again, " I do not believe it. I have finished my work, and as my sister does not appear to be coming, I Fraulein Anita will be kind enough to look after my painting materials and see that they are sent across to me." I saw through the mirror that she rose as she spoke. I came forward instantly when I saw her move ; and, as I made my appearance in front of the por- tiere which had shaded me, I was -conscious of an inquisitorial glance anything but friendly that greeted me from Lotta's companion. " Lotta ! " I called, and I do not know to this day whether I bowed as etiquette demanded or not ; but Lotta turned quietly toward me, and said : " My sister, your highness ! " " I have disturbed your sister after a most inexcusable fashion," said he, with polite greet- ing. " I was on the point of starting for Castle Grunen, and took it into my head to run down here for a day before I went, and what was my 1 1 4 Two Daughters of One Race. surprise when I entered this room to find a young lady painting diligently, for the governor had for- gotten to inform me of the permission he had accorded her." " And I was frightened not a little," said Lotta, as she unfastened her painting-apron. " But, your highness, you see the picture is finished, and I will disturb you no longer." " On the contrary, it is not finished," he said, as he looked attentively at her work. " Do you not see, Fraulein von Werthern, that there is a ray of light yet needed on that chalice of red wine ? The color of the peach is too deep, and the diamond ring there in the corner, which lies so carelessly and yet so full of meaning near that dish of luscious fruit on the green satin cover, is but meagrely sketched ; you must give it more attention. Look again at the original. It is the work of a great master, old Petro de Ring ; you must treat it with the reverence which it deserves. In my opinion you have several days' work before you ere your copy will be perfect." " These are only trifles," replied Lotta decid- edly, " which I can attend to just as well at home." And as the prince made a hasty move- ment to interrupt her, she added quickly, " I wish to give the picture away to-day, your high- ness." Two Daughters of One Race. 115 " To her betrothed," said I ; and I felt that my voice sounded deep and earnest, but I could not help it. He looked at Lotta in astonishment, and there was a question in his glance. " Yes," said the girl in- a low tone and with fixed eyes on the floor, "to my betrothed." " He is a man to be envied," said the prince, but without taking his eyes off her. Lotta caught up her straw hat hastily and lifted her damp picture from the easel: she was very pale, and about her mouth I saw again the hard expression which for the last few weeks had never left it. With a profound bow she retired from the room, catching me by the hand as she went, and throwing a curt greeting to Anita, who stood listlessly looking out of the window. In another moment we were passing swiftly through the corridor. We hurried down the steps, and were soon walking under the chestnuts toward our home; neither of us had spoken a word. " How did it happen that the prince arrived so unexpectedly ? " I asked at last. " I do not know, Helena," she answered. " I was painting, and Anita was gossiping, and I had just asked her to put some wood in the stove, for 1 1 6 Two Daughters of One Race. I felt chilly, when I heard a carriage drive hastily into the court beneath. I knew from the sound that it was no conveyance from this neighbor- hood, and was reminded of the high-stepping horses and heavy equipages of our dear Berlin. Anita was listening too, all ears, but she said noth- ing, and began again to chat of trifling matters. Soon, however, I heard a step behind me, and turning, saw the prince by my side. It was very painful for me, as you can understand. Then he told me just what he repeated to you, that, as he was going to Grunen, the fancy struck him to come to Rotenberg, just to see again the place where he had spent at one time so many tedious weeks. It was not a pleasant contretemps for me, Helena, so don't say any more about it." " You will be forced to desist from your favorite occupation, for a time, at least, Lotta." She sighed and looked at her picture. " He will doubtless be away again soon, but it was not pleasant to be taken by surprise after such a fashion." When we crossed the Rodens' court, I turned to the left toward home. Lotta stood irresolutely for a moment, and then said : " I think I will stop for an instant, Helena, or will you give him the picture ? " Two Daughters of One Race. 117 " No," I answered, " but I will accompany you." " Wait," she said, " I will join you in a moment." I did not understand Lotta then, but after- ward it seemed to me that an instinctive feeling a presentiment what you will of the shadows that were so soon to cross her pathway was upon her that morning. " Is your master at home ? " I heard her ask. Then she disappeared within the doorway, and I heard her step across the marble hall. A mo- ment later, and she was by my side again with empty hands. " He was not in, and I placed it on his writing- table," she said, putting her arm in mine as we crossed the stone pavement together. " Had we not better go back and see his mother, if but for a moment ? " I asked. " Not on my account," she answered. " I believe we should only disturb her any way ; she is engaged up to her eyes in preparations for the evening." I had my way, however, and we entered the house for a friendly word with the old lady. In the great room everything seemed in readi- ness for the festivities of the evening. The table glistened with fine crystal and rich, old- n8 Two Daughters of One Race. fashioned silver plate. In the middle stood a gracefully-shaped silver epergne, filled with field- flowers, gold-dragon and jasmine, and over two of the chairs an arbor of small green birch branches had been formed. In front of these two places of honor stood an immense cake, sur- mounted by a sugar Cupid pointing his arrow toward the chairs, as though he would pierce the hearts of the two who should sit within the arbor. " Those seats are for Fritz and you," I whis- pered, and looked anxiously at Lotta. She appeared like one turned to stone as she gazed at the arch. Around her mouth played ever the old sneering smile, but there were tears in her eyes. " How frightful ! " I heard her say. We found our hostess in an adjoining room, where she was adorning the chandeliers with wreaths. " There," she said, " you have come through the great room and seen the preparations, and I wanted it all to be a surprise to Lotta. Our people adorned the places for the happy pair. But, now that you are here, you can help me a little if you will, for Fritz left me in the lurch to-day, and has not yet returned from his ride." And she handed Lotta ribbon to make Two Daughters of One Race. 119 bows and streamers for the wreaths, and called upon me to assist her in what she was doing. " Only think," she said, going on hastily with her work all the while, "while I was busy in the upper rooms this morning, I saw a carriage and horses driven into the courtyard of the castle, and Prince Otto in it, too. I only caught a glimpse, but am sure it was he. I was surprised, I can tell you. What could have brought him here now ? I heard he had forsworn Roten- berg altogether, and considered it a dull, poky place, even though he does own such a fine resi- dence here." Lotta remained perfectly silent, and continued cutting the long paper strips for tapers which had just been handed her. " You are quite right," I answered, " Prince Otto is here." The old lady threw down her wreath and clasped her hands together. " God in heaven ! " she cried, " I wonder what he has done this time that he is sent here again to do penance ! Children, you have the rascal just opposite you ; be careful never to go near your windows." Lotta laughed suddenly at this, and so heartily that her white teeth glistened through her parted lips. i2o Two Daughters of One Race. " Do you know him personally ? " asked Lotta. " Oh, yes, indeed," chatted the dear old lady ; " he's a beautiful boy, looks just like Goethe must have looked when he came back to Frie- derika at Sesenheim. No wonder that he finds favor with the women, but really he is too bad ; but he heard the truth once from me any way, as he doubtless never had heard it before. I could do it, you know, for when he was a child he was here with us all the time, playing with my youngest boy, Max. Bless me ! how those two lads tore in and out, now on the roof, now on the haymow, and now on the topmost rafters of the barn ; it seemed to me they were everywhere that they had no business to be. Since he has grown up he always comes in to see me and shake hands, and he never fails to say : ' Frau Roden, I have never eaten anything which tasted half so good as those potato dumplings which you used to bake for me ; you know how we used to sit in the kitchen and eat them right hot out of the pan.' But never mind that ; I was about to tell of the lecture I gave him. That was over two years ago. The duke had sent him here into confine- ment on account of some wild prank I never knew what that he might have time for reflec- tion 'far from Madrid.' Well, I suppose he did do some reflecting, but for the most part he Two Daughters of One Race. 121 turned our quiet Rotenberg topsy-turvy. He brought tight-rope dancers here ; he bought him- self an elephant, on which he rode around the castle garden dressed as a Turk ; he inveigled a company of strolling players into our tumble- down old theatre to play Offenbach's nonsense, and all the boys in the village whistled the airs, and their sisters sang the stupid stuff till we were fain to stop our ears. " He sent complimentary tickets to all the families where there were any pretty daughters, and had the boxes full of blondes and brunettes every evening, each one prettier than the other, and all the silly things were as conceited as if each one had received some great honor and special attention. " Paul, the shoemaker, who lives over yonder on the corner, had a dear little girl eighteen years old, white and rosy, with dark blue eyes ; I never saw a lovelier picture. She was a godchild of mine, and I loved her tenderly. Well but it is not right that I should tell you all this ; I'll make it short. There came a day when Anna would have given her life if it had not been as it was. The foolish child left her father's house stealthily in the night and fog, and went to her aunt's up yonder in the mountains. She has never come back. Her poor mother grieved her- 122 Two Daughters of One Race. self to death for the unfortunate girl, and to this hour no one dares to speak her name in her father's presence. What is done is done ! Just at the time when the whole village was talking about the affair, the young scapegrace had the temerity to come and see me. 'Twas in the twilight of a rainy autumn day ; I was not dis- posed to let the opportunity pass, so I had it out with him. "'Your highness,' I said, 'those whom God has set to rule over their fellows on earth, he has elevated that they may be an example to their subjects.' He looked at me and smiled. ' Why,' said he, ' Frau Roden, that's a function which my father, the duke, and my brother, the heir apparent, are discharging to the best of their ability.' I looked at him very earnestly ; we were standing by the window, and I pointed over to the shoemaker's little dwelling ; he kept on smil- ing, but I was not to be turned aside. ' Your highness,' I continued, ' 'twas only a poor cob- bler's child, but her parents loved her just as dearly as your mother loves you, in tears and sor- * row.' This time the smile faded from his face, and he gave me his hand. ' You may scold me, Frau Roden,' he said, ' I know you mean well.' " She ceased speaking. Lotta had turned aside and was vigorously cutting paper ; the noise of Two Daughters of One Race. 123 her clipping" was the only sound that broke the silence. " Dear, dear," sighed the old lady after a few moments, as she took up a duster from the nearest chair, " what confusion and trouble he'll bring again into our quiet village." When, a half-hour later, we had returned to our house, Lotta, who had seemed for a time to be lost in thought, suddenly exclaimed : " Do you know, Helena, he reminds me very much of our Hans. Hans was just as merry and amiable as Prince Otto." " And just as deceitful and deficient in earnest- ness and real generosity," I added. About seven o'clock in the evening we went over to the supper. Grandmother was attired in ceremonious black, with a lace mantle thrown over her shoulders, and a dainty lace cap on her head ; I was dressed soberly in black silk with long, sweeping train ; my only ornament was a diamond brooch which had belonged to my mother. Lotta led the way. She was indeed a charming sight, with her slender girlish form in a dress of snowy white, walking in the rosy glow of the setting sun. There had been a slight shower in the afternoon, and the air was delight- fully fresh ; crystal drops were glistening still on every leaf. " I believe I am nervous," said Lotta. " I Two Daughters of One Race. wish it was well over and we were home again." She had hardly spoken when a manly form stepped out from under the linden-trees and came toward us. " Lotta, dear girl, how beautiful you are ! " he cried, seizing both her hands and holding her at arm's length as he regarded her with delight. " It was so good of you to wear a white dress. It does not matter if we keep our guests waiting a few moments, and, Helena, you will tell my mother that we are coming immediately ; I must keep Lotta here a moment to thank her for her good- ness to-day." And he led her to a rustic seat near by, sheltered by the low linden branches, and upon which lay a magnificent bouquet of rare flowers. We hurried on, and my grandmother said : " Do not you think Lotta is changed : that she conceals something from us ? It seems to me as if she was always trying to conquer a feel- ing of aversion or repugnance toward him. Just now I thought she would have given anything to escape from him altogether." Indeed, the betrothed pair were already com- ing on behind us ;- the thanks must have been cut short after all. They came up to us rather formally ; Lotta was carrying her train in one Two Daughters of One Race. 125 hand and her flowers in the other. She was deadly pale, and he red. Strange to say, he did not look well in evening dress with his white tie ; his hunting-jacket and top-boots suited him much better. We could hear the sound of many voices as we reached the house. Rieke, in snowy cap, opened the door for us, and my grandmother crossed the threshold leaning on my arm. As we entered the large room the chatter ceased, and the curious guests looked at us with interest as our hostess introduced us : " The Frau von Werthern and her eldest niece and here is the dear bride of my son." Fritz and Lotta had entered behind us. For one instant there was silence, and then a perfect stream of words were whispered over us : " Honor joy acquaintance ! " Grandmother bowed to all and then sat down on a sofa, and I seated myself near the young Frau Diakonns. Lotta still stood by the side of her fiance', until he, with some haste, brought her a chair, which he placed near me, and in which she sank immediately. Our entrance seemed to have put a stop to all general conversatien ; several of the young peo- ple disappeared one after another through the low window on to the lawn. Every one's glance was directed toward the lovely, proud face of the 126 Two Daughters of One Race. future bride. Two young girls clad in some rosy, gauzy material whispered with one another and evidently compared notes. Fritz talked to one of the gentlemen about the prospects for a good harvest, and grandmother talked in a low tone to Fran Oberforster. I tried to draw Lotta into a harmless conver- sation I was having with my little blonde neigh- bor in regard to the acoustical properties of the village church, but to no purpose she had evi- dently decided that silence was golden. It made me very sad ; I alone knew how charmingly Lotta could converse when she wished. At last some one mentioned the name " Prince Otto," and then the tongues seemed loosened, and all began, either in praise or blame, to discuss that young nobleman. " He will remain here, of course," said one. " Oh, to be sure ! He has no greater desire than to live always in our midst," quoth another. " I wonder whether he will have a gondola trip this time, such as he had two years ago ? " cried a young lady with sparkling eyes. "We shall know soon enough," said the bur- germeister with a sigh. "He will certainly have the theatre open," interrupted the Frau Oberforster, evidently pleased. Two Daughters of One Race. 127 "Oh, yes, for a spectacular play at least," added her husband dryly. There was much said both for and against the prince. The gentlemen shrugged their shoulders and did not seem anxious to talk about the gay young man ; and the wives and daughters found a thousand excuses for all his jolly pranks. " It brings in some money to the poor people when there are guests at the castle," said the biirgermeister's practical wife. " And we'll hear some good music occasion- ally," said another. " Rotenberg would be buried altogether if he did not come occasionally." " Indeed it would," sounded a chorus of young girls' voices. "There it is again, the old, old story," said the chief forester, in a tone which brought every one else to silence. " If any one wants to have luck with the women he must get himself into a dozen or two bad scrapes and see to it that he goes through a certain number of love intrigues." The chorus of ladies here brought the speaker to a halt. " That is not nice of you," said the super- intendent's wife, " but you are always full of malice." All the ladies joined in the attack upon the 128 Two Daughters of One Race. laughing man, who, to escape the reproaches of the enemy, ran to the window and thrust his fin- gers into his ears. " But, my dear ladies," he cried in supplicatory accents, " it is an established fact, that whenever a notorious robber has been executed, the officers have always found among his effects thousands of tender epistles." The announcement that supper was ready brought the debate to a close. The affianced pair led the way into the dining- room, and Lotta stood with impenetrable counte- nance before her seat of honor ; then she took her place beneath the hanging birch branches. The sight of the girl's beautiful and motionless face gave me a strange feeling of anxiety. I noticed that she refused one dish after another, that Fritz bent toward her with deep concern, and then suddenly stood up and with one quick stroke brought the whole arch to the ground. I had received my place by the side of the jovial chief forester. He was about to further illustrate his former proposition, when he was interrupted by a sharp ringing of glasses. The superintendent had risen and struck his glass, and was getting ready to make a speech. He turned to the betrothed pair. He spoke pf the happiness which must corqe to that house Two Daughters of One Race. 129 into which so lovely a bride should enter. She would find roses strewn upon the threshold in gratitude for the roses of joy which she brought with her. He spoke of the Roden family, which had dwelt so long in this house, and could look back with pride upon a long line of honorable men and virtuous women ; and he remarked with especial emphasis that she who gave her hand to the last of the Rodens might well deem herself blessed, for from his youth he had always been a man whose heart was in the right spot. And so he drank to the health of the young pair, whom he hoped soon to see before the altar of St. Mary's Church: "A happy courtship and a peaceful married life." " God save ! " cried all the guests in rousing chorus, as they crowded round the fiance's with their champagne glasses in their hands. In the midst of the tumult I saw opposite to me the open door, and in the doorway stood Prince Otto. Frau Roden observed him before any one else. I heard her astonished " God preserve us the prince ! " Then she stepped rapidly forward to bid him welcome. He was no stranger in that company, and his 9 130 Two Daughters of One Race. coming occasioned only joyous surprise. After a gallant compliment to my grandmother and a hearty grasp of the hand with Fritz Roden, he took a chair and seated himself by Lotta's side, begging that the guests would not disturb them- selves on his account. He had, he said, only come to bring his personal congratulations to his old playfellow, and would straightway disappear. Indeed, no one was disturbed by his coming, he began to chat so innocently with Lotta, drank toasts with Fritz, and laughed as heartily as any young man would who knows that he is a welcome guest in a merry company. He de- clined to eat anything, but he sipped the spark- ling champagne with evident satisfaction. I observed, too, that Lotta sipped her glass more frequently ; soon her eyes began to sparkle with their old fire, her tongue was loosened, and she was again her old fascinating self. Her betrothed sat silent, and played with his empty glass. He and I were the only ones in the company who were not gayly chatting. I was almost suffocated by a nameless fear. The warm room, with its heavy odors of wine and food and flowers, was becoming intolerable to me. But no one thought of rising, for the prince still sat at Lotta's side, drinking and chatting, forget- ful that he had spoken of leaving. Two Daughters of One Race. 131 At length he sprang to his feet and offered Lotta his arm. "To the garden, ladies and gentlemen," he exclaimed ; " it is a wonderful spring night out of doors." "Come, Helena," whispered Fritz, as he gave me his arm. He fairly dragged me along after the handsome pair, who were already moving through the hall, past the line of gaping servants, toward the gar- den. Soft moonlight filled the night, the perfume of flowers was in the air, and in the bushes sang the nightingale. As if in a dream I walked behind Lotta's white and lightly moving form. Neither of us spoke, but I knew by the restless light of his eye that Fritz's heart was suffering. I felt for him an unspeakable compassion ; the hot tears rolled down my cheeks and would not be restrained. " Are you crying, Helena ? " he asked. " No," I said, ashamed to confess the truth. " How do you like his highness ? " he inquired with a bitter accent. But before I could answer he added : " Let us turn about. I am tired of loitering in their wake." I made no move to comply, however. 132 Two Daughters of One Race. " What would you have me to do then, Helena ? " he said softly. " True gold would not melt in a fire where there is so much more flame than heat." We turned around then and went back in silence. As we came near to the lindens, we passed close by the windows of the banqueting hall. The chief forester was inside, and was fill- ing all the glasses from a great punchbowl. " Now sing, friends," we heard him say. " But where are the young people ? Oh, sure enough, scattered through the garden in sentimental promenade. Well, well, we did no better in our time." I could not bear that Fritz should show him- self to the merry party without Lotta, so I led him aside unobserved along the path leading to the lindens. I felt I must say something, and I could think of nothing but Hans. " You said some time ago that you would write to a friend in New York ; did you do it ? " "Yes, indeed." " Did you receive no answer ? " " Oh, yes, I received an answer, Helena ; but do not let us talk of that to-night. Let us go in." "Not without Lotta," I said stubbornly. " We must not coerce any one," said he. " She Two Daughters of One Race. 133 is doubtless amusing herself. Do you hear that, Helena ? " And as he spoke we heard her merry laugh in the distance. " That is she, is it not ? " said he ; " no one but Lotta can laugh like that." Just then I caught a glimpse of her white dress, and I called to her loudly, " Lotta, Lotta, y