THE WEST SHORE.
169
" attack of heart," to which the couutows was nuljot, aud
in the middle of dinner she fainted, and had to be curried
to her room, which the rustio doctor, who was haiitily
fetched from a neighboring townlot, declared bIio would
not be able to leave for some days.
So Alexia was free to roam, unspied upon by maternal
eyes. Aa a rule, he had found it dull at the Seldom; but
now he felt atrangoly content Ilia eyes wandered over
the groups of shrubs that, parting, showed pictures of
unmowed grassy lawns with flower beds and gravelled
walks. The shadows at his feet were pale; the flag hung
limply on its pole above the castle tower. It would be a
fit day to lounge in the Bhade at Lino's feet, as he last did
five long years ago, before he went to the military school.
He paused, mentally contemplating the idoa, and then
walked through the open gates, loft the castlo behind
him, and procoeded up the broad road leading to the vil
lage. First under the trees, then iu the open, then under
the high brick wall of Herr Barmauu's garden. He rang
a bell, and the greeu gate opened as if by itself. He
stepped down into the square garden.
" Good morning." A thin, sham-eyed man of middle
age, in a Schlafrock or dressing gown, a cap on his grey
hair and a long pipe between his lips, came down the
steps from the house door. " It is long since you have
been here, Count Aloxis. You want Lino. The gnadige
Frausent the Jungfer Marie" (hor maid) "to ask for
Lise to go and sit with hor."
How was it then that Aloxis had not met her? Oh!
that was easily explained. Lise went to the oaatle through
the fiolds by the path that led from thoir garden gate to
the shrubberies. " I always go that way," added the in
tendant, with a sharp, scrutinizing glance aaide at the
young man. " But now you are hero, oome in and toll
me some news of Breslau." But Alexis refused. The
suspicion he had felt that " they were trying to prevent
his seeing Lise" was strengthening.
In the Wt field between the shrubleries around the
Schloss and Hurr Barmann's house was a piece of water,
bordered by a narrow copse. Here there was a boat
house,' whore he aud Lise used to play at lieing ship
wrecked mariners on a desert island, going to and fro to
the tiny islet in the middle of the lake in the curious
three-cornered punt with the swan's head. Liso must
pass here, and here Alexis went and waited for her.
While he was seriously ondoring, Lise was coming
home through the shrubberies, accompanied by the old
white St Bernard, Chance, who used to make the third
young playfellow in those dear old days. Then ho was a
fluffy young pup with big, awkward paws and a silly, in
quisitive face; now he was a sage old dog, whose long
hair flapped as lis marched sodutoly along, his dim eyes
impervious to attractions Uiat to his worn sensibilities
were attractions no longer. Young with Alexis and Lise,
his life had boundod on while their lives had crawled,
and now that theirs were unfolding into the first passion
ate freshness of full noon, his was melting into the shades
of fast-coming night Yet even old Chance could be
roused from his steady torpor. As Lise and he n eared
the oen field of the lake, he suddenly panned, sniffod,
and with a short hark ruhv swny fmvn hta ml",
Lise hoard a voice say, " Chanoo, dear old Chance," then
back he came, leaping and fawning upon Aloxisl
She shrank back, her heart seomod to stop then her
life seomod smothered by nn embrace. Alexis kissed hor
on Ixith cheeks, as he had kissed his mother yesterday.
Anger, rulMed dignity, restorod her equilibrium. " How
dare you," she said, rotreating, aud brushing her cheeks
with her handkerchief.
" Then you are not my sister, my darling Liso? Be
cause you are growu up aud betrothed, you are going to
cant mo off? You forgot your promise to love your
adopted brother Alexis beet in the world as long aa you
lived! Oh, Lise, you cannot mean itl Do not try to lie
silly, like tho fushiouahlo young ladies in town!"
His words were like a stream of sunshino. Liso for
got doubts, conventionalities, and lookod up into the
honest blue eyes, with their fringe of black lashes, that
she know so well. "We are no longer children," alio
said.
"Are only children to love and to lie happy? Oh,
Lise, be yourself, my sister; all those years that they
have kept us apart home has not been home, it has been
like a bad dream. There was no one whom my heart
could speak to, so it got numb and stopped speaking tdl
yesterday. Then, when I saw you again, it suddenly
sprang up and soemod to warm me and bring me to oon
sciousuoss again, and to-day it burns with joy as if it
could fly from me and flutter to your foot, so dearly do I
love my dear, long-lost sister."
Their hands claaod. They felt children again, bask
ing in the warmth of an innocent sympathy in which
ceremony and false shame died sudden death. This
sweet blushing, serene woman was to Alexis tho child
Lise glorified; and Lise saw in the toll young man the
liltlo brother grown toll and strong.
Drawing hor hand through his arm, Alexis led hor
along the path toward the boathouso. " Now that we are
together again, at last," ho said, joyously, u we must go
over the old ground; you will come to all the places
where we woro so happy, onoo more, before we part for
ever, won't you, Lise?"
" Tart forever!" The words were as a oold hand laid
ujxm Llse's heart, yet she knew them truo. Her life
would weary itself out with dark, staid Frana Ulrich in
the refined, museum-like Dresden, while Alexis would
fight, or enjoy a glittering peace, in tho heart of a brill
iant army.
" Don't let us talk of parting, just for to-day."
"They are trying to keep us aart, though, Lisa,"
saitl he, bonding his tall head as they passed under a
tree. "These old oople can't enjoy anything, so they
grudge enjoyment to us."
They stood in tho boathouso. Tho wavsleta lapped
the keel of the punt Lise peered into tho corners.
" Our chairs aud our tables are gone," she said. M Last
time I came here they were all black and rotten, so I sup.
pose they have been given to Uie poor for fuel." .