I entered the breakfast-room the next morning Fraulein Siefert greeted me pleasantly. After breakfast she left the room, returning in a few minutes, however, dressed in her riding-habit.

"Good-morning, Herr Mies,' she said, seeming to have forgotten that she had already spoken at the table. 'Have you thoroughly recovered from the fatigue of yesterday's ride?'

"Yes, Fraulein; but I have not recovered from the surprise your reception at the supper-table gave me.'

"At the supper-table?' and her great brown eyes opened wide, precisely as they had done when I was introduced to her in the dining-room. Why, I have not seen you since I came in from my ride.'

"What!' I exclaimed, 'you did not see me? Truly, this is extraordinary! When I met you last night you did not remember riding with me; now you remember the ride, but forget that you saw me last night. Explain-what does it mean?'

"Simply that you are mistaken. On returning from my ride yesterday I went up-stairs to stay with my little brother, who was fretting. I did not come down to supper at all. But auf wiedersehen. I am going away to spend a few days at uncle's,' upon which she smiled and flitted out of the room.

"Was I dreaming? I began to think there was some mental affliction, and abandoned any efforts at solving the mystery. At the dinner-table, when we were all seated, in walked my beautiful riddle.

"How have you passed the morning?' she inquired, with a friendly smile.

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'Quite well; and I am glad to find you back so soon.' "Back! I have not been away.'

"Ah-so you changed your mind?'

"Indeed, no. Did you imagine I was going away?' "I could make no coherent reply.

"Oh no,' I stammered, 'not at all-that is-yes-I—erthought-thought you might go away.'

"Frau Siefert here kindly came to my relief and changed the subject. After that day things went on more smoothly. Frau

lein Siefert evinced no more of the puzzling eccentricities which at first had so astonished me. We walked, rode, and read together. The day before I was to leave I asked Herr Siefert for the hand of his daughter. He consented, but she-she refused. My disappointment was stunning. I mounted my horse and galloped down the road. The fresh air seemed to quiet my nerves; when at last I turned my horse homeward I felt calmer. Returning, I saw Fraulein Siefert approaching on her gray pony. I determined to suppress my feelings, and speak with only the most studied formality.

"Why, how do you do, Herr Mies?' she said, as I came up; 'I am glad to see you again.'

This greeting was so strange, so unexpected, I was speechless. A moment more my surprise gave way to amazement as a living second of my angel rode up and greeted me with a slight bow.

"Twins!' I ejaculated.

"Did you not know it before?' said she whom I had first met, with a merry laugh. I am Marie, and this is my sister Annie, whom you have seen all the week.'

"The mystery was now clear, and as we rode on together I almost forgot my repulse in recalling the amusing contretemps of the first few days of my visit.

"That night I could not sleep. I deserted my room for the grape arbor, which had been a favorite retreat during my visit. As I sat there in the still night air, thinking over my hopeless love, the sound of voices was wafted to my ears. Whose voices were they? I recognized one as that of my darling's. "Oh, why did you refuse him?' I heard one of them say. 'He is handsome, and father says he is clever.'

"What was this?

to catch her answer.

My heart almost stood still as I listened
She seemed to whisper it.

"I liked him-I admired him. But, oh, sister, how could I marry a man with such a red nose?'

"Great Heaven,' I groaned, and is this the cause?'

"I rushed to my room, lighted a candle before the glass, and

gazed long and intensely at the reflection of my unfortunate

nose.

"Yes; she was right. It was a red nose, and I was a fool to imagine a beautiful creature like she could love a red-nosed

man.

"But she shall marry me yet,' I said, gritting my teeth, 'she shall marry me, and this accursed nose shall bleach as the driven snow.'

"I looked back a few years at the time when my nose was white. Why had it become red? It was unnatural. I determined to find the cause, and remedy it if in human power. Within a week I was at the celebrated hygienic home of Dr. Therbideaux, in Paris, where I began my nose-bleaching under the doctor's instructions, drinking gallons of hot water, bathing several times a day, living on prunes and fruit, and parboiling my feet in order to bring the redness down from my nose.

"Curses on my feet! I did not care if they turned red; she wouldn't see them.'

"In a few weeks a perceptible improvement had taken place. The redness in my nose abated, while the redness in my feet increased. When I returned to Amsterdam it was with a load of Dr. Therbideaux's books, and my mind stored with his valuable advice and instruction. Since then I have rigidly followed his prescribed course, and in addition have here in my room a gymnasium for exercise, to equalize the system and prevent the blood settling in the nose."

The musician paused. A painful suspicion darted upon my mind. I seized a hand-glass and critically examined my own nose. Had the color of that feature anything to do with my Mary Ann's rejection of me? Were all girls so decidedly opposed to red noses? Casting a furtive glance at Mies, I now perceived his nose was as white as the fairest woman's.

"And this angel-this Venus?" I said. "Where is she? What if she be won while you are preparing for the conquest?"

"Ah, I shall risk that. I have thought for some time my

nose was white enough. You strengthen me in my belief, and I shall soon put the matter to the test."

Three weeks from that night I received news of my friend's "Verlobung" (engagement).

"He deserves his luck," I thought;

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any man who will live

on prunes and hot water to win a girl is a trump of the first order."

CHAPTER XXVI.

PEASANT LIFE IN BELGIUM.—CURIOUS IDOL IN BRUSSELS. — ITALY REVISITED. THE POTENTIALITY OF A FLANNEL SHIRT. — OLD FRIENDS AND BEGGARS IN NAPLES.-FLOUNDERING IN FRENCH. -WHY PARIS IS MAGNIFICENT.-THE THIRD NAPOLEON.-PATRONIZING PARIS THEATRES TO AVOID BUYING FUEL.-A FUSSY ENGLISHMAN.

THE Belgian laborer is as industrious, perhaps, as the laborer of any other country in the world; two circumstances, however, operate to lessen the results which his energy and labor should produce. First, the extreme density of population and consequent great amount of competition; secondly, his habits of intemperance.

Beer among the Germans, and light wines among the French and Italians, are consumed almost to the exclusion of other beverages; but in Belgium the working-man drinks not only an unwholesome and inferior quality of wine and beer, but, to a considerable extent, rum and gin also. Rum and gin drinking are on the increase. Many workmen lose Mondays through their Saturday night and Sunday dissipations.

In the matter of habitations the standard in Belgium is better than that in Italy. A moderately thrifty workman will rent a tenement-house of from two to four rooms, paying therefor from three to six dollars a month. In rural districts houses are generally provided with a small plot of ground for gardening. In the large cities this is wanting. The houses in Antwerp and Brussels are built solidly together. The hall-ways opening into the houses are generally dark and narrow, and the stairs leading to the upper stories exceedingly crooked and steep. Often a rope is provided to hold to when going up the steps, it being impossible, or at least dangerous, to ascend otherwise.