"It would suit me far better, if you were not so much in company with
those two fellows. Blasi is absolutely idle, and cannot be nice, and Jost
is really bad; you can see that in his face. He never dares to look me
full in the eye; he always avoids a direct glance, as if he feared that
his eyes would betray him. I believe he is thoroughly false."

"No, no, you should not judge him so harshly," said Dietrich,
good-humoredly. "He is not what you think him; he is a good friend to me,
and has already taught me a great deal that I should never have got at
without his help. He is a very clever fellow."

Veronica let the matter drop, but it was plain that she had not changed
her opinion.

The days grew longer and brighter. The wood was filled with sweeter
perfumes evening after evening, as the two friends sauntered along their
homeward path, and in each young heart the feeling grew and ripened, that
still sweeter and more beautiful days were to come.

One afternoon in May, Veronica paced leisurely along the white hill-road,
her eyes fixed on the tall oak on the borders of the wood, which marked
the place where the foot-path came out upon the high road. Everything was
quiet; not a human being in sight. She reached the spot and looked
anxiously into the wood. She listened; she peered between the trees; all
was solitude. The tree-tops, softly murmuring, rocked gently to and fro,
and through the branches she saw the sunset glow. For the first time, the
young girl entered the wood alone. It was quite dark, in there. She passed
along with rapid step, among the solemn pines, hastening faster and
faster, as the trees seemed to draw together about her. When she came out