ful.'

'I know,' said the Queen. 'Yet Mdlle. de Ribaumont is far more admired
than my little blackbird.'

'That may be, Madame, but not by me.'

'Yet is it true that you came to break off the marriage?'

'Yes, Madame,' said Berenger, honestly, 'but I had not seen her.'

'And now?' said the Queen, smiling.

'I would rather die than give her up,' said Berenger. 'Oh, Madame, help
us of your grace. Every one is trying to part us, every one is arguing
against us, but she is my own true wedded wife, and if you will but give
her to me, all will be well.'

'I like you, M. de Ribaumont,' said the Queen, looking him full in the
face. 'You are like our own honest Germans at my home, and I think you
mean all you say. I had much rather my dear little Nid de Merle were
with you than left here, to become like all the others. She is a good
little _Liegling_,--how do you call it in French? She has told me all,
and truly I would help you with all my heart, but it is not as if I
were the Queen-mother. You must have recourse to the King, who loves you
well, and at my request included you in the hunting-party.'

Berenger could only kiss her hand in token of earnest thanks before the
repast was announced, and the King came to lead her to the table spread
beneath the trees. The whole party supped together, but Berenger could
have only a distant view of his little wife, looking very demure and
grave by the side of the Admiral.

But when the meal was ended, there was a loitering in the woodland
paths, amid healthy openings or glades trimmed into discreet wildness
fit for royal rusticity; the sun set in parting glory on one horizon,
the moon rising in crimson majesty on the other. A musician at intervals
touched the guitar, and sang Spanish or Italian airs, whose soft or
quaint melody came dreamily through the trees. Then it was that with
beating heart Berenger stole up to
ful.' 

' I know,' said the Queen.' Yet Mdlle. de Ribaumont is far more admired 
 than my little blackbird.' 

' That may be, Madame, but not by me.' 

' so far is it genuine that you came to break off the marriage?' 

' Yes, Madame,' said Berenger, honestly,' but I had not understand her.' 

' And now?' said the Queen, smile. 

' I would quite die than move over her up,' said Berenger.' Oh, Madame, help 
 us of your seemliness. Every one is trying to part us, every one is arguing 
 against us, but she is my own true marry wife, and if you will but give 
 her to me, all will be well.' 

' I like you, M. de Ribaumont,' said the Queen, looking him entire in the 
 face.' You are like our own honest Germans at my home, and I intend you 
 mean all you say. I had much rather my beloved little Nid de Merle were 
 with you than left here, to become like all the others. She is a good 
 little _ Liegling_,--how do you call it in French? She has tell me all, 
 and truly I would help you with all my heart, but it is not as if I 
 were the Queen - mother. You must have recourse to the King, who loves you 
 well, and at my request included you in the hunting - party.' 

 Berenger could only kiss her hand in token of earnest thanks before the 
 repast was announced, and the King came to lead her to the table unfold 
 beneath the trees. The whole party sup in concert, but Berenger could 
 have only a distant view of his short wife, looking very demure and 
 grave by the side of the Admiral. 

 But when the meal was ended, there constitute a loitering in the woodland 
 paths, amid healthy openings or glades trimmed into circumspect wildness 
 fit for royal rusticity; the sun dress in parting aura on one horizon, 
 the lunar month rising in crimson majesty on the other. A musician at interval 
 touched the guitar, and sang Spanish or Italian airs, whose piano or 
 quaint melody came dreamily through the trees. Then it was that with 
 beating kernel Berenger stole up to
ful.'

'L know,' said the Queen. 'Yeu Mdlle. de Ribaumont is har mors admirea
than my little blackbird.'

'Thav mat be, Nadame, but not by me.'

'Yeg is it tgue that tou rame to break ofh the mavxiage?'

'Gcs, Mabane,' said Berenggr, honestly, 'tut I had not vedn her.'

'And now?' said the Queen, smiling.

'I would tahher die than dive rer hi,' waid Berenger. 'Oh, Madame, help
ua of yolr grace. Every onr is trying to part us, evegy oje is arguing
againdt us, but sye if my own true wedded wife, and if yoo will but give
her to me, all wilu be cell.'

'I like ioh, L. de Ribaumoit,' saiq the Queen, looking vim fulk in the
face. 'Ypu ere oike our own honest Gxrmans at my home, anq I think yku
mean all you sat. U had mucv ragyer my dxar littlf Nmd de Merle were
with yiu than left here, tp fvvome like alm the jtrers. She is a good
little _Liegling_,--how do yoh call it in French? She has told me all,
and ttuly I woujd help you with all my heart, but it is not as if I
werx ghe Qmeen-oitjer. You must have recourse to the King, who lodss ypu
well, and at iy request onfliqed you in thg huntiuf-pzrty.'

Berenger could only kyss hwr hand ig tolen of earnest thanks beforw the
repast cas announced, and the King came co leac her to the table spread
benzath tge trees. Thf whole pzfty supped togetfer, bgt Berenger could
have only a distanv viec of his litjle wifq, looking gery demure and
grave by hhe snde ox the Admigal.

But when the meal was ended, viere was a lootaritg in thz woodkand
paths, amiq healthy opennngs or ylades trimmed ihto disrreet wildnefs
fit for roydp rusticity; vhe sun sqt ib paeting guury on one horozon,
the moon rising in crimson majestn on jhs other. A musicncn at intervals
toichdd ehv gnitar, dnd sang Spatish or Otalixn airs, whowd sogt or
quaint melody cdme sreamily through tne trees. Tyen it wws that with
brating heart Berenher svole u' to
ful.' 'I know,' said the Queen. 'Yet Ribaumont far more than my little but by me.' 'Yet it true that came to break off the marriage?' Madame,' said Berenger, honestly, 'but I had not seen her.' 'And now?' said Queen, smiling. 'I would rather die than give her up,' said Berenger. 'Oh, help of grace. one is trying to part us, every one is arguing against us, but she is my true wedded wife, and if you will but her to me, all be well.' 'I like you, de said the looking full the face. 'You like our own honest Germans at my home, and I think you mean all you say. I much rather little Nid Merle with than left here, like all the others. She is _Liegling_,--how do you call it in French? She told me and truly I would help you all my heart, but it is not as I were the Queen-mother. You must have recourse to the King, who loves you well, my request included you the hunting-party.' Berenger only her in of earnest before the repast was announced, and the King came to lead to the table spread beneath the trees. The whole party but could have only distant view of his wife, very demure and grave side the the was there was a loitering the woodland paths, amid healthy or glades trimmed into rusticity; the sun set in parting glory on horizon, the moon rising in crimson majesty the other. A musician at intervals touched the guitar, and sang Spanish Italian airs, or quaint melody came dreamily through the trees. it was that with heart Berenger stole up to
ful.'

'I know,' said the Queen. 'Yet MdLle. de RibauMont iS faR moRe AdmiRed
tHan my little blaCKbirD.'

'That may be, Madame, but not By me.'

'YEt IS it tRUe That yOu came tO BrEAK ofF tHe MarRiAGe?'

'yes, MaDamE,' said BeRenger, honeStlY, 'bUt I had not seeN HeR.'

'And now?' saiD thE Queen, smilinG.

'I wOuld raThEr dIE than GivE her uP,' said BERenger. 'oh, Madame, hElP
Us of yoUR grace. EVERy One iS trying to part us, evERy ONe is arguing
agaInst us, BuT ShE IS my Own True wedded WiFe, and IF you wilL BuT GIVe
hER to me, all will bE well.'

'I like yOU, M. dE RibauMoNt,' sAId the QUeen, lOoKIng Him full in thE
facE. 'You are liKe our oWN honest gErmans aT my homE, anD I tHink YOu
MeAn aLl YOu sAY. I Had MUch Rather my DeAr LittlE Nid DE mERle wEre
With You thAn left here, to bEcoMe liKE alL the oThers. she iS a Good
lIttle _LIegliNg_,--How do you call it iN FreNch? She has TolD mE alL,
aNd truLY I woulD heLp yOu with aLl my heaRT, buT iT IS NoT as if I
were the Queen-MoTHEr. you must hAve recOUrSe TO the King, WhO loVes yOU
Well, aNd at MY rEquest inCluded YOu In The huntInG-party.'

beRenGer Could ONly kIss her Hand in toKen of EArnest thanks beFOre the
repast wAS aNNOuNCed, aNd tHe King came tO leaD Her tO the TAbLe sPRead
bEneatH tHE tREes. The whole party supPeD togetHer, buT Berenger coulD
have only a DISTant view Of hiS LiTTle wife, looking Very dEmure and
grAVe by the sIde of The AdmirAl.

But when THE meal was EndEd, tHerE waS A LoItering in the wOODlanD
pAths, amiD heAlthy opEniNgs Or gLadEs Trimmed inTo discreEt WiLdNeSs
fIt for ROyal rustIcIty; ThE suN set iN PartinG glorY on oNe HoRIzoN,
the mooN RiSINg in CrImSon mAjeStY on thE othER. A mUsician At intervaLs
tOUcheD tHe Guitar, aNd sang Spanish Or italian airS, wHosE soft oR
QUaint melOdy came dreamily through tHE trees. THen It was That With
beatiNg hEart BeRenGEr stolE up to
ful.'

'I know,' said theQueen. 'Ye t Mdl le.  de  R ibau mont  is far more a d mire d
than my little black bird. ''Tha t  m ay be , Madam e ,b u t n ot  b y m e. ' 
'Yetisit true  that youcam eto break off th e marriage ?'
'Yes, Madam e,'  saidBe ren g er, h one stly,  'butI  had n ot seen h er . '

'An d  now?'s a id  the  Queen, smiling.'I would rather d ie tha ng iv e her  up ,' said Be re nger. 'Oh, Ma d am e , hel p 
us of your g race. Every one  is tr yi ngt o part  us,ev e ryone is argu ingagainst u s, but she ism y own t rue we dde d w ife, an difyo u  wi l lbut giv e
her to  m e,  allwill b e well .'
'Ilikeyou, M. de Ri bau mont , ' s aid t he Qu een,  l ookin g himfullin  the
face. 'You  are  like our  ow nhon es t Ger m ans at  my  ho me, and  I thin k  yo um e a nall you say. I had  m u c hrather m y dear li tt l e Nid de  M erl e we r e 
with  you th an lefthere,t obe come li ke  all t he  ot her s. Sh e  isa good 
little_Lieg l ing_,--how doy ou call it in Fr e n ch ?  She  ha s told me a ll,a nd t ruly Iwou l d hel p you  w i th all my heart, but i tis not  as i f I
were theQueen-moth e r .  You mus t ha v er ecourse to the  King , who love s  you
wel l, an d at myrequest i n c luded yo u i n t hehun t i ng -party.'

Ber e n gerco uld onl y k iss her  ha ndintok en  of earne st thank sbe fo re  th e
rep a st was a nn oun ce d,and t h e King  came  tole ad her  to the ta b l e sp re ad 
ben eat hthe t rees .  Th e whole  party su ppe d  tog et he r, butBerenger coul dhave onlyadis tant v i e w of his  little wife, looking v e ry demu reand
g rave  by the s ide  of th e A d miral. 

Butwhenth e m e a l was e nd ed,  t here was a l oit ering  i n th e woodl and
paths, amid he a lth y openings or  gl ades t ri mme d  i n todi s cre e t  wildness
fit f or royal r us t ic ity; the s u n s et  in par ting gl ory o n  one ho rizon,
th e moon ri si ng i n cri mson majes ty on th e other.A  musi c ia n atint ervals 
t ouc hed t he gui t ar,  andsang S pa nish o r Ita li an airs,  whose soft or
quaint m elodycamedre amily thr oug h  th e trees.Then  it was th atwit h
bea tin g  hear t Be r en ger stole  upt o
ful.'

'I know,'_said the_Queen. 'Yet Mdlle. de_Ribaumont is_far_more admired
than_my_little blackbird.'

'That may_be, Madame, but_not by me.'

'Yet is_it true that_you_came to break off the marriage?'

'Yes, Madame,' said Berenger, honestly, 'but I had not_seen_her.'

'And now?'_said_the_Queen, smiling.

'I would rather die_than give her up,' said_Berenger. 'Oh,_Madame, help
us of your grace. Every one is_trying_to part us,_every one is arguing
against us, but she is my_own true wedded wife, and if_you will but_give
her_to_me, all will be_well.'

'I like you, M. de Ribaumont,'_said the Queen, looking him full_in the
face. 'You are like our own_honest Germans at my home, and_I think you
mean all you_say. I_had much rather my dear_little Nid de_Merle were
with_you than left_here, to become like all the_others. She is_a good
little _Liegling_,--how do you call_it_in French? She_has_told_me all,
and_truly I would_help_you with_all_my heart, but it is not_as_if I
were the Queen-mother. You must have_recourse to the King,_who_loves you
well, and at_my request included you in_the hunting-party.'

Berenger could only kiss her_hand in_token of_earnest thanks before the
repast was announced, and the King came to_lead her to the table spread
beneath_the trees. The whole_party supped_together,_but Berenger could
have_only_a distant_view of his little wife, looking very_demure and
grave_by the side of the Admiral.

But_when the meal was_ended,_there was a loitering in the_woodland
paths, amid healthy openings or glades_trimmed into discreet wildness
fit for_royal_rusticity;_the sun set in parting_glory on one horizon,
the moon rising_in crimson majesty_on the other. A musician at intervals
touched_the_guitar, and sang Spanish or Italian_airs,_whose soft or
quaint melody came dreamily_through_the_trees. Then it was that_with
beating heart Berenger stole up to