A Hero of the Pen

nge Ca

of the whole country. We landed in such a fog that we couldn't see the shore until we set foot on it; that day we passed in Hamburg there was such a rain that I really

ady loosed from harness stood near with bowed heads, as if fully comprehending the unfortunate state of affairs, and in a gully by the road side near the broken hind-wheel, sat the postilion, his head bound up with a handkerchief

annot. So far as I can determine, our postilion's injuries are not dangerous, and he declares that B. is on

e is liable to faint at any moment. We could not possibly leave him helpless and

lead you right into that accursed Rhine, that we hear raging down yonder

ins to have the least influence or control over her movements, "and if I follow the main road it wil

d only make his appearance!--Hold! there comes some

rong English accent, have betrayed the foreigner, for a low but mus

, with a sigh of relief, and quickly approaching the stranger, who unti

e postilion is injured, and we are entire strangers here.

tain

can find. And one thing more! You will, perhaps, have the

t request, at the last stepped back, and there was some

g lady-

ates to you. Miss Jane, may I implore you to confide yourself to this

. She glanced at his pale, delicate face, into a pair of blue, dreamy eyes

"And now may I beg you to hasten, for the young lady's sake as well as my own? Good-by, Miss Jane. Have no

stranger made no effort at resistance; in dumb consternation, he allowed all this to pass over him, and followed mechanically the directions given him. With a silent b

ment was evident, and kept him from all attempts at conversation. Miss Forest did not understand this strange behavior. She was accustomed every where to be an object of great attention, and now this man, in appearance and language a gentleman, showed himself so

suddenly paused, and in the same low, musical voice as before, said; "The highway mak

e, shortly and coldly, and with another silent bow, he

in of Jane's elegant mourning clothes, which had been designed for travelling, but for travelling in an extra post-chaise. The light cloak was as slight a protection as the thin boots; her dress became wet through and through, while her companion, enveloped in a thick wooll

t behind, and lamentation and delay were not her business. She therefore, more and more resolutely, drew her shoes from the mud which seemed inclined to hold them fast, set her feet energetically into t

to wait. I need

ense of his thoughtlessness. He paused, and gazed in terror upon his protegée, w

"--he paused, and then added apologetically "I rea

he would say: "I h

ng lady's toilet. "Good heavens, you are quite wet through!" he cried anxiously,

g from a wall of earth, after a rain of several hours, offered no especially inviting resting place; and yet, the gentleman seemed to regard it as such. With a hasty

d now unhesitatingly, just to afford her a resting place for two minutes, he threw into the mud the shawl which might all this while have protected her. Anything more laughable or impracticable had never before m

tellectual in the highest degree, but a transparent, sickly pallor lay upon them, and the large, blue eyes, with their strange, dreamy expression, looked as if they had nothing at all to do with the world and the present; as if they were g

st mild spring rain, which appeared to revive the whole earth with its warm, aromatic breath; lightly murmured through the air those strange voices, those whisp

g oppressive, and Jane, to whom these emotions were

n yonder?" she asked po

We are on

ed absently at the opening buds, from which the first green was just bursting forth, and then careles

s," he said softly. "I would n

s now in Germany! Annoyed and almost angry at this indirect reproa

hink it worth her while to remind him of it. They walked on silent as before, but the guide now moderated his steps, and often looked anxiously around to see if s

ask Miss, where I

use of Dr.

surprise. "Do

o you k

thoughtfully over his forehead--"I faintly remember having hear

y, "and you will oblige me if you would shorten

to turn to the right so that I can conduct

ough the garden was worse than the deep mud and difficulties of the path they had just gone over. Her compani

as not suitable for a lad

" answered Jane in a somewhat exasperate

behind the la

n, let us

f the path were quite overflowed by the rain, which here formed a real lake, that, enclosing the

y pass through here

, and placed the tip of her foot in th

t deep. If you only--if you wou

athetic, half derisive glance, Jane's eyes swept the tall b

th unconcealed irony. "The bur

urprised and confounded, had no time for resistance, but now she made a hasty movement, resolved to wade through the deep water, rather than permit a liberty taken without her consent. All at once, she met his eyes. Was it the dumb, almost plaintive entreaty that lay in them, or was

oice, as, timidly and respectfully, he

tly and coldly, as she herself t

the garden, when a tall, almost gi

" he said. "And without an umbrella too! You may have taken a cold, a fever, y

rom the anxious servant, who, armed with an immense um

ppearance of a lady by his master's side, seemed to entirely transcend the servant's powers of comprehension; he let the umbrella fall, a

rnation. "It is the young lady who was expected at Doct

ighty strides. Jane remained motionless, gazing at the professor; her manner plainly betrayed what she began to think of her German countrymen, and after th

place in order those already begun; and when, at last, Jane, accompanied by the professor, approached the front door, a new surprise awaited her. Rich garlands of flowers surrounded doors and pillars, a giant "Welcome" was displayed over the former; flow

ided. Jane's brows contracted, she scanned the servant from head to foot, and as he, abashed at this ungracious stare, stepped to one side, with a haughty wave of the hand in which there lay small thanks, but

with rain, through the garden gate and in the company of an entire stranger, did not for a moment lose her self-possession. She stepped up to her uncle, with cool politeness, reached him her hand, and with exactly the same expression, offered h

or fellow still stood at the foot of the stairs; the flowers had fallen from his hands, and he stared motionless

with me,

an expression of deep mortification. He passed his hand through his ash-blonde hai

much out of the way?" he

y. "The young lady is evidently not acquainted w

of it, the former mortification seemed to give place to resentment. Wi

e grave tone of his master brought

and wiping away the tears with his hand, with bowe

wife belonged to those good, harmless people, whose highest endeavor it is to live in peace with all the world, and not to allow themselves to be disturbed in the even tenor of their way. The deceased Forest had judged his brother-in-law righteously, when h

otherwise, and here, as elsewhere, success had won its homage. Although Doctor Stephen and his wife had once anxiously shunned all mention of their Forest relatives, they had of late years, gladly and often, spoken of their brother-in-law, the millionaire across the ocean, and the prospective visit of his daughter had thrown them into no small excitement. If the

ossible as disagreement. Never, by word or glance, did Jane betray the slightest dissatisfaction with the house in which she was a guest. But the pitying contempt with which this young lady, reared in the bosom of American luxury, yielded to

mselves no uneasiness. Miss Forest was an American and a reputed millionaire, two peculiarities which gave her entire freedom to do and say what would not have been allowed to another; and this so much the more as her betrothal remained a secret. There was scarcely a family of position in the city who did not cherish some hopes of future relationship with this eligible young heiress; and so, upon her entrance into society, Jane found herself courted and nattered, a state of things not at all new to her. All the world was enraptured with her beauty, which was in such striking contrast to the serene, blooming freshness of the Rhineland maidens; th

y his servant; but at his very first lectures, he had enforced marked attention from his colleagues, and excited the liveliest interest among the students. With this success he had been content; the professor was not a man to assert himself, or claim any especial place in society. He anxiously avoided all intercourse not indispensable to his calling; he made no visits and received none; he shunned all acquaintanceship, declined every invitation, and lived in

t; but from their full hearts they were content with this, for they best knew how dangerous such a man might become to their authority, if, with this fulness of knowledge, was united an obtrusive personality and an energetic character. So, without o

ave a polite greeting but shunned any longer conversation. The doctor was almost the only one who, at the professor's frequent attacks of illness, entered his rooms, or came into any closer relations with him; but

quite in contrast to him, he had a most decided inclination to associate with others, and was delighted to employ for others, the abundant leisure which the professor allowed him; and so he helped the doctor's wife in the house, and the doctor in the garden. In this way he had gradually become a sor