spoken to her. She was at the head of the great Industrial School for
women, where she received so handsome a salary, that she was in a fair way
to the accumulation of a nice little fortune. It was common to hear it
said of her, "She is really a lady! she can have whatever she pleases,"
and it was often added, "If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't go about with
a face like a thirty days' storm, as she does, when she can be a
gentleman's wife whenever she chooses!" It had been proposed that
Veronica should go to live in the school-buildings at Fohrensee. But she
did not accept the offer; she could not leave her mother alone in this
time of trouble. Every evening after her work she returned to Gertrude's
cottage.

During the long summer days it was easy for Veronica to get home before
the twilight was over. But when the days grew shorter, dusk came on even
before she could reach the wood. One bright Saturday afternoon, late in
August, Veronica had delayed longer than usual in the work-room, to clear
all away and leave things in perfect order for Sunday.

She hurried up the hill road, not so much from fear of going through the
wood alone, as from desire to spare Gertrude the anxiety of watching for
her. Just before she reached the wood, she met Jost coming towards her. He
held out his hand with a friendly smile, saying,

"I came to meet you; I thought it would be getting too dark for you to go
alone through the forest; I can't let you go unprotected."

"You may spare yourself the pains," said Veronica shortly and crossed over
to the other side of the road. Jost crossed too.

"Veronica," he began after a little while, "it is not nice of you to treat