a small table on which was a little china
service with a spirit lamp.

"It is a primitive life we lead here," she
said.  "We serve ourselves mostly, and
go for our dinners to the Herrenhaus.  My
brother has spent many summers here.
The painters never seem to weary of the
Edmond's Grund."

She soon set before us the dainty cups of
quaint shape, with odd figures painted on
them. Fraülein Fanny, as is the fashion
with many Germans, dilated on the beauty
of the china.  "They were heirlooms,"
Fraülein Zartoff said; "they had been in
the family since her grandmother's time."
The coffee drank, we still sat around the
table.  Our new acquaintance was quiet
and intelligent, and we did not feel in the
least as though she was making an effort
to entertain us, and yet there was a charm
in her manner of introducing subjects that
kept us listening and answering to her
thoughts.  I liked to watch her.  She was
not young, and her features were not
regular: yet her animated expression, and the
graceful movements of her pretty hands
quite fascinated me.  At last Fraülein
Fanny, glancing at the clock, exclaimed
that she really must go.

"Adieu to my dear childrens.  I shall
wait for fine studies when you comes once
more to Dresden."

We thanked the good soul heartily, shook
hands, and she went off very gaily to fulfil
her appointment with the Forest- Controller.

"And now, if you like, we will walk,"
said Fraülein Zartoff. Her broad sun-hat
donned, we sallied forth into the little valley:
once more following the stream, and
pausing now and then to admire a cottage,
or the beautiful children whom we met.
Fraülein Zartoff said: "The children here
are famous for their beauty.  Ludwig
Richter, the artist, drew most of the children
for his exquisite scenes, from the
children of Herrneskretchen and Johannsdorf.
We will go some day to Johannsdorf,
if you like. It is a couple of miles from
here, a charming village on the heights."

A few minutes' walk brought us to a
noisy mill and a waterfall.  Our road
turned to the left, and ascended a hill
with crags on either side.  A foot bridge
spanned the stream to the right bank; a
large house stood beyond it. The valley of
the stream narrowed beyond the falls.

"Here is the entrance to the Edmond's
Grund," said Fraülein Zartoff, leading the
way over the foot bridge, " and this is the
forester's house. You see how it is
ornamented with deers' heads and antlers.
The forester is the Forest- Controller's son,
and his wife sits at the door, with her
baby in her arms.  The property belongs to
Prince Clari, who comes every year to hunt
here.  He is very fond of this glen, and proud
of its renown among painters.  You see how
artistically the path has been arranged;
we cross again by that lovely rustic bridge,
and the way runs along the left bank.
The trees are more beautiful, and the
outlook finer than on this side.  See how
grand that group of trees is! My brother
has often painted it.  From every side it is
beautiful."

We strolled on, slowly.  It was such a
lovely glen! The moss-covered rocks in
the streams, the clear waters, where
sunshine and shadows of drooping branches
and bright-glancing trout played altogether.
The lovely path, the huge boulders and
cliffs among which it wound, the birches
and the pines contrasting their gay and
sombre foliage, all enchanted us; we
continually stopped to find some new bit,
more beautiful than the last.

"Ah, there is my brother!" said Fraülein
Zartoff.

Herr Zartoff was seated in the path
before us; a beautiful sketch on his easel.
Hearing our voices, he rose: a dignified,
courtly man, of middle age.  We were
introduced, and kindly received.  He was
glad to have more company, he said.
We must come and make some studies
in the Grund.  He walked a little way
with us, but we soon left him to return to
his work, while we explored, to its lovely
limits, Prince Clari's glen.

The sunlight had left the drooping
branches and the sparkling water. The
little trout darted about in its cool, clear
depths, with no sunshine to make their
bright colours gleam and glow, as we
turned homeward.  Herr Zartoff, too, had
put up his brushes, and was ready to go
home, when we rejoined him.  The little
village was all in shadow, and we parted
at the door of Frau Lischel's house,
Fraülein Zartoff going with her brother to
dine at the Herrenhaus.  It was not late:
only five o'clock: and we passed the rest
of the day in arranging our room.  We
unpacked our boxes, and had a talk with
the landlady about good things to eat.

"Eggs?"

"Yes; they were brought from Schandau
once a week. The beer came from Bodenbach;
black and white bread, coffee, and
sugar could be had in the village."