The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-07

save up money, and then all at once throw
it away on project, the like of which was
never heard Of"
Count Otto speedily set about taking
possession Of his new property. He ran
wall round the theatre, cutting it off
from the town and enclosing it in his own
ground. The bit of meadow was also en-
closed and planted with shrubs. He did
not wait to see these works finished; for so
soon as they were begun, he set out from
the place, and Stauffenheim saw him no
more for nearly year.
Meanwhile it became known that the
Rose world of the ,fserie still remained in
the theatre, exactly as it had been during
the performance of the piece. The Count
had engaged the service of one or two of
the assistants of the theatre, and their duty
it was to see that this scenery was kept
clean and bright. During his absence it
was kept carefully covered over while the
interior of the theatre was being newly
decorated
AS for himself, lie followed Henrietta
Rhense from place to place, as the various
exigencies of her profession compelled her
to travel. Yet neither she nor her father
knew that he did so-a slight disguise and
alittle precaution kept him easily concealed
from both. He thus constituted himself
an invisible guard over her safety, while
enjoying the pleasure of looking at her
whom he had chosen as his wife. He had
prevailed on her to write to him; and her
few letters were forwarded to him, while
his replies were sent back to Stautfenheim,
to be again posted from there. Her letters
were frank and simple in the extreme; but
they made no allusion whatever to the
understood compact that had been made
between them. Although he would fain
have learned that she too looked forward
to the happy close of his period of proba-
ton, he could not but admire the delicacy
which prompted this reserve. For her
silence intimated to him that he was free
from any promse-that she could not ac-
cept his offer, even in the light of a posi-
bility, until this trial had been made. So
he followed her about, and secretly listened
to her sweet voice, and secretly saw from
a distance the sweet face that he hoped
might tighten up in the future the solitary
rooms of the Schloss Weissbach.
He knew very well that he was breaking
his part of the compact in thus seeing her.
1t was understood that her absence was to
be test of his constancy and of the reality
of his affection, whereas she was never
really absent from him for twenty four
hours together. However, he reconciled
his conscience to the deception by saying
to himself that, as he knew the depth and
stability of his affection, it was only neces
sary to persuade her, and that his present
enjoyment could not interfere with the
final result
At last the Wdndcrjdhr was over; and
Henrietta Rhense and her father were in
Prague. Nothing had been said as to how
she and her lover were to meet; and, doubt
less, she expected letter from him, con
tanning some intelligence of his coming.
But instead of a letter, he presented him
self on this wise. He knew well that every
forenoon she and her father were accustom-
ed to cross the Moldau, and go for a walk
past the Hradschin toward the park of the
Belvedere- gardens. lie knew perfectly the
road they took; he knew the clump Of trees
under which they sat in front of the Res
tauration, while the waiter brought them
some coffee, and old Herr Rhense read the
newspapers, and Henrietta took out her
knitting. They were sitting there on this
morning, when the young Count went up
to them. Henrietta raised her eyes, and
there was strange glamor of joy fell over
her face, although she looked pale and a
little frightened.
81 have come to claim your PROMISE
he said, and he held out his hand
She gave him her small hand in his; and
there, not needing whether the people in
the distance of the park could see them or
lips. This was how Count Engelhardt won
his wife; and he carried her home to Schloss
Weissbach, and the small dark haired gill
became the mistress of the place.
Perhaps the young Count was mad, after
all; or perhaps his correspondence with all
these poets and playwrights had partly
turned his BRAN; for the most curious part
of the story is to be told. He took her
down to this theatre at the end of the
grounds; and very much surprised was she
to find that the Rose world in which he
had seen his first love was there unaltered
in all its glory of pink coler and light.
And she was as mad as he; for to please
him, and to recall the time when he had
first seen her, she used to dress up rs the
the arbors of flowers. How beautiful she
looked, with her black hair and her pretty
figure defined clearly against the pale pink
background. And when, after wandering
there, she came to see her husband in the
front part of the theatre, she sometimes
found that his eyes were filled with tears.
1t was great piece of folly, perhaps but
they were only two big children, these two,
who had been nursed on poetry and
and these "reminiscences of the
old time served only to keep their first love
warm, and SO they were very happy.
1t was another sphere of existence to
them into which they were never tired of
escaping. On all special days, such as
anniversaries of their wedding day, or of
the day on which they first met, and so
forth, the Count had the Rose world lit
up; and his young wife, beautiful as ever,
became again the Princess, and charmed
the eyes of her lover. These two people
lived dream life in the Schloss Weiss
bach; they were SO fond Of each other,
that they cared for little company; and
when there were strangers living in the
Schloss the theatre was never opened.
'.But this is not so very long ago." you
say to your informant. "Men are alive
who knew Mendelssohn. Are the Count
and his wife both dead?''
Then they tell you that, about three
oft tbair ,rroot fnvar