Part 22 (2/2)

'Never mind the ancient city, dearest Professor Look at your notes again--as Charlotte doing?'

'Charlotte? She had entirely escaped reat was the pleasure excited in my breast by the conte away from the massive towers of Stralsund, my eye fell on the word ”_Frauen_” on theof the ladies' carriage

Instantly reer to speak to her

The co the starlit scene from the deck of the ferry?'

'She was not'

'Were there no bags in the carriage?'

'Not a bag'

'What had become of her?'

'She had left the train; and I'll tell thee how At Bergen, our only stopping-place, we crossed a train returning to Sassnitz Plentiful applications of drink-ed into this train'

'Not very clever,' I thought

'No, no,' said the Professor, as if he had heard'The little Lot's cleverness invariably falls just short of the demands made upon it At critical moments, when the choice lies between the substance and the shadow, I have observed she unfailingly chooses the shadow This comical life she leads, what is it but a pursuit of shadows?

However----' And he stopped short, not caring, I suppose, to discuss his wife

'Where do you think she is now?'

'I conjecture not far fro by the Swedish boat-train I was told that a lady answering her description had got out there at eleven, taken a fly, and driven into the town I walked out here to speak with thee, and was only waiting for the breakfast-hour to seek thee out, for she will not, being so near thee, omit to join thee'

'You must be perfectly exhausted'

'What I o and see if we can't get some Gertrud will be up by now, and can produce coffee at the shortest notice'

'Who is Gertrud? Another dear little cousin? If it be so, lead hed, and explaining Gertrud to hiain Then we started for the hotel full of hope, each thinking that if Charlotte were not already there she would very soon turn up

But Charlotte was not there, nor did she, though we loitered over our coffee till we ended by being as late as the latest tourist, turn up

'She is certain to co the day,' said the Professor

I told hio to Glowe that day, a little place farther along the coast; and he said he would, in that case, engage ht at Stubbenkammer 'She is certain to come here,' he repeated; 'and I will not lose her a second time'

'You won't like the pavilion,' I rens of Charlotte, I set out on foot on the first stage of e round by road to meet oingthe footpath down on the shore The Professor, as a great walker and extraordinarily active for his years, cao into Sassnitz that afternoon if Charlotte did not appear before then and make inquiries, and aily down the sa a few hours before At the bottom of the ravine the shore-path froins It is a continuation of the lovely path from Sassnitz, but, less steep, it keeps closer to the beach It is a white chalk path running along the foot of cliffs clothed with moss and every kind of wild-flower and fern Masses of the leaves of lilies of the valley shohat it must look like in May, and on the day alked there the space between the twisted beech trunks--twisted into the strangest contortions under the lash of winter storms--was blue ild campanula

What a walk that was The sea lay close to our feet in great green and blue streaks; the leaves of the beeches on our left seeainst the sky; and the Professor was so gay, so certain that he was going to find Charlotte, that he al He talked to ht have talked to quite a little child--of erudition there was not a sign, of wisdom in Brosy's sense not a word; but what of that? The happy result was that I understood hi would induce ood-natured h Why, what a quality in a husband, how precious and how rare Think of living with a person who looks at the world with the kindliest a of pleasantthings on days when life is dusty Must not wholesomeness pervade the very cellars and lumber-rooms of such a home? Well, I o into the ho the dear oldhappily, all unconscious that I was ood turns, perhaps happy for that very reason, and full of confidence in his ability to catch and to keep Charlotte 'Where she goes I go with her,' he said 'I now have my summer leisure and can devote myself entirely to her'