press, recollect the provocation given, and that a larger part was friendly. Nowhere has Germany, and even Bismarck, been appreciated more highly than in England, and in return for our sympathy we only desire that you will do us the justice of questioning yourselves how you would have felt and acted in our position."

By way of illustration of her statements, Agnes read shortly afterwards to Captain Von Hermsdorf an English report of the march into Paris; as he had himself been in it, after taking a distinguished part in the Franco-German War, the account naturally interested him, The writer, an English officer, relates the scene by an eye witness :-"There was no air of triumph or parade. It was looked upon as a mere military operation, which had to be got through in a business-like, unpretending way. Neither the Emperor William nor his son entered the city. Count von Bismarck rode up to witness the scene as the Prussian regiments passed in; but he turned his horse's head and did not enter. The soldiers were good-humoured and grave, and impassive to the petty insults of the mob which stared at them; and nowhere did the army of occupation, or its leaders, exhibit that flaunting arrogance with which the first Napoleon and his marshals and soldiers used to ride through the cities they had conquered."

The snow soon covered all with its garment of white, but this and the cold, clear air only made their walks more enjoyable; for the wood-paths, with the hardy winter trees, looking jewelled where their icicled leaves glittered in the sun, had an attraction not surpassed even when they had formed a leafy summer shade. Then the sleigh-rides by moonlight, when they had been to evening entertainments at the houses of neighbouring friends, and Rudolph insisted on driving them home himself, were among the most agreeable remembrances to Agnes; but the kindly attention and merry jest did not prevent her artistic observation from carefully noting the picturesqueness of the dark groups of forest, the distant snow-clad mountains, and the curious old houses they shot rapidly past. Otto was rarely from her thoughts, but with her intense love of all beauty she felt a keen interest in the new and varied life into which she was thrown.

When the festive season came, anxious to see everything, Agnes went to church on Christmas Eve. It was early in the evening, bat Clara and her mother were busy arranging the Christmas tree, so Captain von Hermsdorf volunteered his escort and remained for supper, though generally all prefer to be at home for the national anniversary. But on New Year's Eve, what a happy time! Frau von Hermsdorf, with her daughter and Agnes, most of their

In the excellent and unbiassed "History of the Franco-Prussian War," by Captain H. M. Hozier and W. H. Davenport Adams.

friends, including her nephew and every one able to be out, assembled in the great church-almost a cathedral, and famous in olden struggles-which was brilliantly lighted and thronged by devont worshippers thanking God for the time gone by and praying for blessing on the future. On the return home the tree was relighted, and at the last stroke of twelve all the church bells chimed a merry peal, while a watchman went round, calling up to every dwelling, "A Happy New Year to all." And Agnes echoed the wish in her heart towards all, but particularly towards Otto, to be in the same country with whom was still to her a happiness!

CHAPTER VII.

But what, of all their follies past, surprised
Them most, and seemed most totally insane
And unaccountable, was value set

On objects of a day, was serious grief

Or joy for loss or gain of mortal things.-POLLOCK.

After two years' absence, Agnes Huntingdon returned to her parents to be more joy to them than ever in the past, for her whole character was purified and elevated. Disappointed affection has widely diverse influences on different natures. Our own impression is that those who can "suffer and be strong," who bend before the trial, but yet do not permit it to warp their sense of justice or make their love less steadfast and pure, show the more powerful affection, which at once ennobles the giver and the object of it. Agnes belonged to the latter class, and, clinging and loving by nature, it was simply impossible to her to give her love lightly, or lightly to estrange it again. On the other hand, much, if not all, that was tender in her bearing came from the thorough Christian training she had received in youth, and this was proved when the first burst of natural anger passed away. Agnes had been taught that our Saviour-God was the Great Consoler, and to Him she turned as the sure "refuge " of trust. She had early been instructed that “man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever;" and her sorrow was blessed in leading her to remember and to seek how she might best fulfil this duty and glorious aim. But for this teaching, with character and passions equally vehement, there is no knowing what extremes she might have gone to, and she thanked God heartily that He had led her so gently, and thus taught her to be forbearing towards others.

These Christian principles, too, while they elevated and intensified her love to Otto, in that she regarded it as duty by reason of the Scottish custom which she felt binding on her, caused her, also, to avoid all intercourse with him, so that no thought of her might interfere with his relation, and any possible happiness he

could have, with the Cuban. Therefore, she firmly refused to either write or hear from him, though she could not help feeling & natural satisfaction that he wished this, and thereby showed the strong hold she ever had on him. In the meantime, she had received several offers of marriage, but she put all calmly from her; the thought of setting any one in Otto's place was inexpressibly distasteful to her, and, in fact, she seemed incapable of seeing that any one was comparable to him. Of these proffers that from Captain Von Hermsdorf touched her considerably, coming as it did from one who had shown her great and deferential kindness, and who offered his love and proposed for her in a manner equally straightforward, yet delicate in its tenderness, of the express desire that any fortune coming to her should be wholly retained for her own use.

"I never was more astonished in my life," exclaimed Agnes, discussing the matter with her parents and elder brother and sister.' "Very extraordinary," said David Huntingdon, "for have I not heard you often saying that ladies could tell when they were being seriously addressed?"

"Ah, probably I spoke without experience," replied Agnes; "because, truly, it never occurred to me that Captain Von Hermsdorf had anything further in view than passing his leave agreeably."

"Yes, but that he chose to spend his time with you might have suggested something, for, of course, a pleasant young officer would be welcome anywhere."

"I was not thinking of that," returned Agnes, looking up with a surprised but sorrowful glance.

"I know," responded her brother, while an expression of anger and sadness flitted over his face; "but if you had allowed your thoughts to rest somewhat on the present subject, they might have been more usefully occupied than they were."

"My thoughts were where duty bound them," answered Agnes, with a quick flash of her eyes, for she could not bear Otto to be reflected upon, and her relatives had used some strong language regarding him.

"And then, I believe, Captain Von Hermsdorf is really handsome, tall, and manly, with the fair hair and eyes of heaven's own blue,' said to be distinctive of the Teuton race, which you so much admire, Agnes?" laughed her sister Marion.

"I never said I admired that style," rejoined Agnes, warmly. "No, but we infer it," pursued her sister.

"Your inferences are not quite right then, as you could easily guess," hastily returned Agnes; she meant that Otto Bayer was not altogether of the traditional German type, he being rather darker.

"The question is now, Will you, or will you not accept this, I think, decidedly attractive young gentleman?" said practical Marion; "consider, Agnes, good-looking, brave, in favour for promotion, and 'wi'a lang pedigree,' which we used to suppose you prized most."

"I feel all these inducements fully, and, what is more, I like the possessor, but I have not the smallest capacity for loving him, and that ends the affair," energetically spoke Agnes; but only to her parents had she told the strongest reason which was, not alone love, but duty to another.

Shortly after this another incident happened which placed her in great. temptation. Agnes kept it, however, a secret from all; how it might be regarded she did not know, and she was bent on shielding Otto, so far as was in her power, from even the shadow of blame. He felt himself increasingly unhappy with the Cuban lady, and wishing Agnes in her proper place as his wife, he wrote to her, having previously taken the first steps towards a divorce! This time she broke her rule of not writing to him, in both cases actuated by the noblest motives. After due consideration, and not without a severe heart-struggle, for the temptation was greater in the fact that Otto did owe much to herself, she wrote to him, earnestly pleading for the woman who had wronged her, that, since she had not sinned against him in the only way which could justify a divorce, he would forgive all else, and be gentle with her. Agnes said that as he and the Cuban were bound by the laws of his country, though she considered the customs of her land equally worthy of honour, yet it was enough that he had severed himself once from her, and she could not allow him to do so from another unless, as was not the case, that other had been unfaithful to him. Her reasoning had the desired effect on Otto, and his forbearance seemed to render more amiable that one with whom he was so unfortunately associated. All the time Agnes had been diligently working in the profession she had chosen, and she was gaining a creditable position among the lady painters whom Britain has such just cause to be congratulated on possessing. She aimed at producing only pictures which might have an elevating moral and religious influence; in this she had fair success, and her sketches and paintings of home and Biblical incidents were sufficiently prized to bring her in a considerable annual sum; what she thas earned she strictly applied to the service of God, in works of religion and benevolence. Especially, remembering her conversation with Herr Reichenbach, and the snares to which Otto was exposed, did she work ardently in all that was for the benefit of the poorer classes, she went much among them and patiently helped them, and aided in everything that might raise them physically

and mentally. And she was of those who saw that the rudiments of learning are more injurious than otherwise, that truth must be taught, and intelligent minds trained to discern between what is solid fact and mere assertion in science. It is this false logic, arguing from desired probabilities, which makes infidels, while narrow historical instruction leaves one an easy prey for the equally dangerous designs of Popish superstition.

The years passed on, in steady activity in her selected life-work with Agnes, but how, meantime, was it faring with him whom she loved so purely and well? Otto Bayer, believing that Agnes had ceased to care for him, had at first been attracted to the Cuban lady by her apparently great affection for him; he had since learned by sad experience that though gratified self-love may produce passion, and though there may be a certain element of jealousy in the truest love, yet the latter is wholly different from mere ardour or fear of rivalry, and rather shows itself in the entire confidence and clinging love Agnes had ever manifested towards him. To Agnes everything at all connected with Otto, his relatives, his country, claimed her dearest regards.

"If he touched a flower,

Or gem of thine, 'twas sacred from that hour."

The Cuban was satisfied to have gained him, and looked upon him as bound to minister to her comfort more than she was to his ; she prided herself on remaining faithful to him, but the thought that it was as much her duty to make his home happy, and attend to the children, was not pleasant to her. The consequence was that Otto, refined in taste, and keenly alive to a disorder so utterly opposite to what he had been accustomed, did not feel at home in the place he had now to take for such, and strayed more and more from it. The poor fellow had honestly tried to exercise the forbearance and gentleness Agnes besought for the woman in her place; this had been useful for a time, but the Cuban, possessing considerable ability, felt that she had not the hold she wished on him, and his influence was henceforth less than nothing over her. She was not pleased either that business was failing with Otto; he worked hard for the sake of his children, whom he loved dearly, but with no encouragement, only taunts for his want of success, from the woman who had given him no help in any way; even his sanguine spirit began to droop.

The danger from Herr Reichenbach, and those of his blind, political and pecuniary gamblers, now closed around him; but this was only a cause for rejoicing to the Cuban, so that it gave her more money for pleasure. She had always been ready to entertain company, but Otto had hitherto cared little for her friends. But, in desperation and in the loss of intelligent society,