stubborn and self-willed, I say, and needs discipline. It does not do for girls to have their own will or to be their own advisers. And it is now, as it has been, my will that my daughters shall direct themselves according to my will, and not say or do anything which is contrary to it. I am master of my own house, I hope, and they are my children, and that's positive! If my daughters are wise they will find it best to obey their father."

"But, if they should die ?"

"What do you mean ?-What are you talking about?" said the Director violently, "why should they die?"

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Ay, I believe, that-Mamsell Alma will not be very long in this world. I believe that sorrow has taken very deep hold upon her."

"It is your foolish fancy and superstition," said the Director, as before. "What is amiss with her? Is she not in every day to dinner, the one day like another? I see no change in her."

"But she does not come up in the evenings any longer, and she looks so deathly of late. And I know that she has got no sleep the greater part of the night, ever since

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Stupid stuff! stupid fancies!" again interrupted the Director angrily. "She has been somewhat complaining sees her twice in the But if any of the girls

for some time. But the doctor week, and she will soon be better. complain you think directly that they are in the agonies of death. It is nothing but stupid superstition! Now then, help me into bed, and give me over that little chest."

Old Anna was affronted by the often repeated accusation of "stupidity," and said not another word, doing only, as a machine, that which her master desired her. He now therefore dismissed her, saying coldly:

"Good night! see that the fire is carefully taken down in the kitchen, and don't leave till it is all black on the hearth. Do you hear?"

When the Director was left alone, he opened, half sitting-up in bed, the little chest or cash-box, and his wrinkled angry countenance grew brighter, as he opened, examined with the candle, and again folded together various small strips of paper. After that he smiled with satisfaction, and said half aloud to himself:

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Not so bad! not so bad! Old Falk is a well-to-do man; a well-to-do man, a substantial fellow, a rich man. Ay, ay; nobody shall look down upon him! People shall take their hats off to him-a rich man!"

And so saying he laid the chest under his pillow, extinguished the lamp, and turned himself to sleep, whilst his thoughts repeated to him, like a lullaby " A rich man ! A rich man!"

And no warning voice whispered in his ear, “Thou fool! this night shall thy soul be required from thee!"

THE SISTERS.

WHEN Hertha left her father's chamber, she found Rudolph in the dining-room, who stood as if waiting there, with the now nearly burnt-down candle in his hand. He advanced towards her, flourishing the candle as he said:

"Hertha, will you-will you? Say only a word; I will do whatever you wish!"

"What do you mean ?" asked Hertha astonished.

"It is so cold here! Don't you think that it is very cold now ?-cold! I saw you shiver. Do you know, I believe, that it never will get any better!"

"Go to bed Rudolph, you'll be warm there. Go to bed poor Rudolph and sleep, and dream and forget. Good night dear Rudolph!"

"I will light you down, Hertha."

"Not this evening, Rudolph. I will light myself. Give me your candle for to-night, and let the moon be your lanthorn into your garret, thus you can oblige me, Rudolph."

"I'll go with you for all that," said Rudolph, "because something might happen to you on the stairs!" And he attempted to put his arm round her waist.

Hertha pushed him gently away, and said in a determined manner, "I will go alone, Rudolph. I can light and help myself. Good night, Rudolph."

She went, locking the door behind her.

Rudolph stood a moment silent and moody, muttering to himself,

"Well, well, she'll have to fly to me for help some time -before she thinks!" and passed through another door from the dining-room, which led by a winding staircase up to his own chamber in the attics.

Hertha went down two flights of stairs, to the lower story, and into the court. The Director's chamber faced the street and was at the other end of the house.

Hertha entered a little stone passage, upon either side of which was a door. She knocked softly upon the one to the left. It was opened by Aunt Petronella.

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Are my little sisters still awake?" asked Hertha softly.

"Hertha, Hertha, is it you?" cried the young fresh voices from the inner room. "Ah, come, come, and tell us something about the ball and the costumes, Hertha."

"Not this evening, but in the morning, my darlings,' said Hertha, as she bent over her sisters' beds, whilst her neck was clasped by their young arms. "I am come to say good night to you, and give you a few sweatmeats from the great entertainment at the Dufva's."

"Thanks, thanks, you dear, naughty Hertha! Good

night; now dream some wonderful dream that you can tell us to-morrow morning at breakfast!"

Hertha's dreams were celebrated in the family, and had constituted for some years the most remarkable incidents in this secluded family, nay, even their principal pleasures.

Hertha promised to pay particular attention to her dreams this night. Aunt Nella had sat, before Hertha's entrance into the room, deeply absorbed over a large portfolio, and, amid a mass of letters, scraps of newspapers, patterns of collars and needlework, verses, and every variety of paper-article lying together in the utmost confusion, was endeavouring to catch hold of and bring together the ravelled thread of that threatening, mysterious law-suit which was hanging over her head. The endeavour seemed hopeless to uninitiated eyes, but Aunt Nella, who had all her days found an exquisite pleasure in unravelling tangled skeins, seemed not to have any doubt about being able to accomplish it, and yet fully to bring to light the mysteriously intriguing enemy, who most frequently showed himself as an indefinite, but prejudiced and offended gentleman, whom Aunt Nella in her youth had had the misfortune to stumble against. A yarringles stood near her, upon which was a tangled skein of yarn, the threads from which had become entangled among the papers of the portfolio; all seemed to become more and more perplexed; the old lady, however, comforted herself by the entanglement on the yarringles, in the hope, as she said silently to herself, that the one ravel might help the other.

Nor was it a bad idea either: Aunt Nella's countenance and her law-prospects brightened considerably, as she, with admirable patience and even skill, opened a way for the thread through all the knots and the labyrinths of the skein; and re the whole was ninter

ruptedly, and the skein diminished on the yarringles, lighter and brighter became her state of mind, and more hopeful her thoughts of the ultimate issue of the impending law-suit. When Hertha, therefore, came in from her sisters', the old lady having laid aside her portfolio for the tangled yarn-skein, and her state of mind having begun to brighten with the decreasing entanglement, she said quite kindly to Hertha :

"I am winding now to spole for your weaving, my dear Hertha; and if you were but as industrious as I am, it would soon be ready."

Hertha only replied "Good night," with an unhappy expression of countenance, and crossed the passage to the second door. Of this she had the key. She opened it and went in. It was a large room, in which might be perceived the smell both of smoke and damp. Ceiling, walls, fire-place, all showed evident want of repair. There was but little furniture, and that of the most homely character; although in this, as in other things, the careful hand of woman was observable. A loom and two spinning-wheels stood in the room. Its only ornament was a little book-case and a few pictures, the work of Hertha. In a deep recess on the left hand;-but before we proceed to this we will say a few words about the two sisters themselves, who had spent together here the best part of their youth, who had here together laughed, and together wept, loved, and comforted each other; spent their days in hard work, and often lain awake through the night to read together the old heroic songs or history, Hertha's favourite reading, or novels, which were Alma's; together become enthusiastic about grand ideas, laid out grand schemes, nay even poured out their warm feelings both in prose and verse (but merely for each other, because they possessed no other public) and then seen. their youthful dreams grow dim, and their life change into that which it was now.