"Yes," replied Natalie, almost under her breath; betrothed ever since he joined the army."

Sévier started.

we have been

Oh, I never feared this, how hard, how cruel, for I love you so deeply, Nata. My life is bound up in you, my own darling, and I know, I feel that you care for me—

Natalie did not reply.

-is it not so ?"

Her burning blushes and face suffused with
Louis went on-

tears were a sufficient answer.

"Day by day, my own one, I have loved you more—you must have known it-had it not been for you I should have gone back to Strasbourg before. I must go very soon now, and oh, Nata, I meant, I hoped to take with me the assurance of your love. Why did you never tell me of your engagement before ?"

"Because it was to be kept secret—our betrothal, I mean”—muttered Natalie chokingly-"None knew of it but Hans and myself— oh, Louis, help me, what shall I do ?" she sobbed, with her head drooping on his shoulder.

"You don't love him, my darling," was the rejoinder, “you can't love such a Bursch !"

"I don't love him as I ought-he has been so good and kind to me, but I cannot care for him as-as-I do for you,—but when I bound myself to him, Louis, I did not know you, and now I cannot go from my word. Oh, Louis, don't make it harder for me—you must go at once to Strasbourg, and then, my dearest, we must never meet again," this from Natalie, very imploringly.

"I can't give you up, Nata," cried Louis passionately,-" tell this German cousin that you don't care for him, that you never have cared for him, that you only love me. Then my treasure will be mine, and when this dreadful war is over I will take you back to la belle France,

and you shall see your dear Paris again."

"Louis, dear, I cannot. Hans cares for me very truly. All the love there is in his nature he bestows upon me. If he should ever release me, then Louis

"If," interrupted Sévier contemptuously, "if a French bullet could be put through his head, why then- ! Pooh! there is quite an equal chance of a German bullet being put through mine. If he were not the son of my benefactress, and I could meet him in fair fight on a battle-field, I am afraid I should 'do' for him if I could, Natalie, in my love for you."

"And if you injured Hans in the least I would never marry you,"

tr

returned Natalie with spirit. Though I do not love him I know he is good, upright, generous, self-denying there is not a better man than Hans in all the Vaterland."

Louis laughed a little scornfully.

"It is wonderful then, Nata, that

you

don't prefer such an embodiment of all the virtues to me, who can have nothing of the kind to boast of-you are very foolish to love me."

Perhaps I may be," said Natalie humbly, "still I love you best, Louis, all the same,—I don't know why, but I do."

"You dear little creature, I know you do," and Sévier covered the downcast tearful face with kisses. "Kiss me, Nata, darling,—it's for the first and last time perhaps," and Natalie did not refuse. (It was different thing from kissing Cousin Hans she felt now.) "Must I go away again, and let all be as if this had never been, dearest ?" asked the young man tenderly.

a very

"No, it can never be so to me," sighed Natalie, bitterly. "Oh, Louis, you have given me fresh happiness, but you have driven away for ever the happy girlish life I led before you came here. My darling, if you love me, pity me, for I am very unhappy."

"Not more so than I am, my own Nata, and why this determination to sacrifice yourself?"

"Put yourself in Hans' place, Louis, and ask yourself if you could bear with such faithlessness," said Natalie.

Sévier thought for a moment, and then replied, "I cannot tell, I am not a fair judge, I fear; still I cannot think that you are right. I will never give you up, my darling, until you are Stürmer's wife. I shall still hope that you will tell him of your feelings, and then that he will release you from your unfortunate promise. In the mean time I must try to feel happy in knowing that I have your love, my Nata."

"It is not wrong for you to love me, Louis," said the girl," because you are not bound, but for me to love you is wrong; so you see my happiness cannot be like yours."

A sound was heard from the house.

"It is Aunt Gretchen calling-I must go, it is so late."

"One moment, Nata-I will not be baulked of my farewell before

I
go to Strasbourg, till then, adieu, my dearest one. In the
of others we must be as we were before."

presence

After one short embrace he released her, and Natalie almost

flew towards the house. reproof.

Aunt Gretchen met her with a sharp

"Natalie, what are you doing, child, out so late in the garden-is Louis there too?" (for the household now always addressed young Sévier by his Christian name,) "I have not seen him since supper.' Natalie did not reply, and her aunt taking her silence for assent, continued,

st

"I think you quite forget yourself, Natalie. If you are going to behave in this way I am sure it is high time that Louis returned to his duties at Strasbourg."

Natalie did not attempt to defend herself. She was weary and exhausted by violent emotion, besides which she felt that there was some justice in her aunt's rebuke.

"Come, Natalie, have you nothing to say ?" continued the latter, half repenting of her severity as the light of her candle fell upon the little wan tearful face.

.

"I meant no harm, Aunt Gretchen," she replied wearily, "but I am very tired, please let me go to bed now," and taking her candle she hastened up stairs at once.

She had no further opportunity of indulging her feelings that night, but tired though she was, it was long ere she slept, and Frau Stürmer's snores had resounded through the apartment hours before poor Natalie's eyes were closed in slumber.

Morning came again, fresh, bright, and cheering. Natalie's troubles already appeared less overwhelming to her, and Louis Sévier hummed a lively air as he proceeded to smoke his after-breakfast pipe in the garden. Old Jacob was busy in the fields, Natalie was feeding her poultry, Frau Stürmer and her son were left alone together in the house. Hans' wound seemed already better, and he spoke of his hope to return to Strasbourg in the course of a day or two.

"By the way, mother," he continued, "Natalie is changed,-what is the matter with her? She is no longer bright as she used to be, but dull and silent."

"You are right, Hans," said his mother; "she has been very different the last day or two-before that she was lively enough. To say the truth, I am afraid she is getting too fond of this young Sévier, and she is dreading his departure. I should not have expected it of Natalie, I must say, but there is no trusting girls, and I suppose we ought never to have had the young man here."

"No," returned Hans slowly, "it was not wise indeed, Mutterchen, but the mischief is done now, I suppose. You think she cares for the Frenchman, but do you think he loves her too ?"

"I cannot say for certain, Hans, but I think so. I was obliged to leave him to her care occasionally when he was ill, and since he has been better he has seemed to seek her society. They are nearly always together, and appear very much taken up with each other. However Monsieur Louis will have to leave us soon, and then Natalie will have to forget him-the sooner the better, I think."

Why, mother," asked Hans, "why shouldn't she care for the young man? do you know anything against him? who are his parents?"

"I know nothing against him. His parents are very respectable," was the reply. "His father is a marchand at Lyons, wealthy, I believe, and Louis himself is a lieutenant, so that it would not be a bad match for our Natalie. Still I should not like her to marry a Frenchman nor a soldier-a foreign marriage brought no good to her poor father, and it would bring no good to her: what do you think, Hans? Are you worse, my son ?" (for Hans had turned ashy pale even to his lips, and was evidently almost overcome either by physical pain or some strong emotion.)

For a moment he seemed scarcely able to speak, but he recovered himself with an effort, and his voice was steady as usual, nay even strangely quiet and calm, as he said,

"No, Mutterchen, thanks, I am no worse- -these wounds will give one a sudden twinge of pain sometimes, but-you were speaking of Natalie just now. She is young and loving, mother-do not cross her love, and so sadden her life. If she and young Sévier really love each other, for heaven's sake do nothing to prevent them from marrying as soon as possible.”

"Why, Hans," and Frau Stürmer opened her eyes in astonishment, "I thought you liked to have Natalie about the house. I should have said that you would have been the very last to consent to her marrying at all, much less to her marrying a Frenchman."

"I care for the girl's happiness," replied Hans, rather sharply; “she will not be happy unless she marries whom she loves,-I may fall in battle, and in case I do, I want you to promise me that you will promote Natalie's marriage with Sévier to the utmost of your power. Promise me, Mutterchen, it may be the last request I shall ever make to you," and Hans looked earnestly into his mother's face.

Frau Stürmer was surprised and disconcerted. She could refuse Hans nothing, yet she was unwilling to pledge herself to promote a marriage of which she disapproved. Why had Hans set his heart so upon this one subject, and why had it roused him out of his usual reserve? These things puzzled her, but she could not resist the pleading look in his eyes.

"I promise, Hans," she said, "it shall be as you wish, if your grandfather does not object."

"He will not," said Hans," he cannot leave the girl much, and he will think it a good match for her. And now I will rest this wounded knee of mine a little."

With these words Hans quitted the kitchen, and throwing himself on the couch in the little parlour lay silent for some minutes, his face buried in his hands. He had just passed through a terrible conflict, and had come out victorious. The struggle indeed was not over yet, as any one would have said who saw the strong, firmly-knit frame quivering with emotion, and shaking violently with tearless sobs. Hans was voluntarily giving up the hope of a lifetime, and such a renunciation in a man of his nature involves a fearful conflict.

His love for Natalie was as deep and lasting as it was undemonstrative, and it cost him more than any one can imagine to give her up. For years he had thought only of her, he had never cared for any one else; his sphere and circle of interests were limited, Natalie was the one object of his hopes, yet he loved her so well that to secure her happiness he was willing to give up his own. More than this, he would not let her see what it cost him to do it, she should never know the bitterness of the sacrifice he had made. He would see young Sévier first, and find out whether the latter really loved Natalie and was worthy of her; if so, he, Hans, would give Natalie back her promise at once. And then? Why he would return to his soldier's life, and strive to lose in the bustle and excitement of war the weary heartache which this bitter disappointment must leave behind it. Life would not seem so precious to him as it once did. It would now be less hard to him to sacrifice it for his Vaterland, if need be, easier perhaps to do so than to return to Nieder Brünnen and live in the Tannenhaus when it should be deprived of the light of Natalie's presence. Still, if necessary, even this must be done. It was clearly his duty to help his grandfather, now growing infirm, and to comfort his mother in her declining years. From these duties he would not shrink. He had