of the weak-headed old man, and perceived with sorrow how pleased he was with the compliment. A deep, tender pity for him arose in her heart, and she resolved to honor and love him more than ever.

She felt decidedly that she would have to conduct herself with the utmost precaution, as well as to avoid all close contact with this woman. She therefore asked her father, on the same evening, to grant her a favor. She begged him, as he would not find it unnatural that she wished for a certain degree of independence, to allow her in future to occupy, with her child, a small pavilion, which, as the style of the gardens of that time, laid out according to French taste, required, stood at some distance from the castle, at the end of the garden. The pavilion had never indeed served as a dwelling, and had only at times, on grand occasions, been used for drinking the afternoon coffee in its saloon. But the two smaller apartments adjoining the latter could easily be converted into bedrooms for Agatha and Caritas, with her nurse. For Kerkow there was room in one of the large chambers next the kitchen, in the basement. Agatha's maid could sleep at the castle, and come to her mistress at an early hour in the morning. She had arranged every thing in her mind before she laid her request before her father.

The count, after she had removed some objections-that the pavilion was not large enough or good enough for her; that she was not to be displaced in any way, etc-finally acquiesced, and gave orders already the next morning to have the pavilion furnished

as handsomely and comfortably as possible. Indeed, he was so kind and liberal in his directions, that Agatha was forced to restrain him. But she had to promise him one thing, i. e., that she would take her meals at the castle with her parents, and bring Caritas with her, whenever it was feasible or proper.

CHAPTER X.

SULTRY DAYS.

AFTER a short engagement, the wedding of the noble couple was celebrated with all the splendor and ceremony which were considered due to the high rank of the two families. That dancing and noisy wedding festivities should be excluded, was a matter of course with the avowed disciples of the school of Spener. The new Countess Promnitz regarded Agatha's removal to the pavilion with decided displeasure, and endeavored to cause the scheme to be abandoned; but Agatha, however yielding she thought it her duty to be in other things, remained firm. And she had all the more reason to be satisfied with the arrangement, since Caritas, with a child's instinctive feeling, contracted a violent dislike to her new grandmother, repulsed her caresses with sulky rudeness, or at the most, if urgently admonished beforehand, or threatened with punishment for her obstinacy, submitted to a kiss with trembling resignation. Hence it was certainly the best policy to keep the little girl away from the castle as much as was compatible with the pleasure which her fond grandfather took in her. For Countess Aurora at length lost patience, and was not

wanting in severe remarks to the effect that "he that spareth his rod hateth his son."

Agatha found some degree of consolation in seeing that her father, who, as might have been expected, had soon fallen back into the senile habits of a man of seventy-six, was at least kindly cared for, and his comfort attended to, even though somewhat despotically. As a matter of course, she had delivered up the household keys to her step-mother, and yielded to her, as soon as she demanded it, such business as she had taken upon herself since her mother's death. She inquired, modestly, whether she might still retain the superintendence of the school, in which she had already assisted her mother while yet a child; but Countess Aurora quite resented the question, and asked, on her part, with scarlet face, "whether madame her daughter had any doubts of her benevolence?" At any rate, Agatha was forced to admire the activity and untiring energy of her step-mother. She soon saw her, not only at the head of the whole household, and housekeeper and maid-servants in constant dread of her sharp eye, but in the course of a few months Countess Aurora had also familiarized herself with the management of the whole estate, had gained a thorough oversight of all outstanding capital, and freed her husband from every care. It was she who examined the accounts of the stewards, who drew up the necessary papers for collecting other income, and merely handed them to the count for his signature, and who, after closely calculating their correctness, took strict charge of all the sums received

The worthy old gentleman had long been accus

tomed to be led by female hands, but the consoling consciousness of being master in his own house had never been taken from him under his Benigna's wise guidance. He also retained enough outside occupation to help him pass away his time. But now he saw himself, not without a slight feeling of shame, deprived of all business, "from regard for his health," or "so as to save him trouble," without, however, suffering any more from ennui on that account; for Countess Aurora was inexhaustible in entertaining talk on various subjects, such as complaints of the unreliableness and sinfulness of the servants, or reminiscences of her former life, of the "wicked, sinful world," which were generally not wanting in the piquant flavor peculiar to the "chronique scandaleuse." The count, therefore, began by degrees to find his idle life quite comfortable, and, aside from this, he received at the end of each month a proof of the advantages of his second wife's household management, in her showing him, on the books, the amount of the income and expenses for that period, and convincing him how much the latter had diminished and the former had increased. How an increase was possible, without a far stricter rule than accorded with his views, he could hardly comprehend; but he was particularly surprised that his wife could save so much by lessened expenses, when he noticed no material change in the mode of housekeeping, except, perhaps, that he became aware, on the occasion of the necessary replenishing of the wine-cellar, of a difference which did not strike him quite pleasantly. It was this, that he had for some time been drinking inferior wine; but the countess insisted upon it that