And I may here observe, that perhaps there never were three children who were fonder of each other; we did not, like other children, fight and dispute together; and if, by chance, any disagreement did arise between my elder brother and me, little Marcella would run to us, and kissing us both, seal, through her entreaties, the peace between us.  Marcella was a lovely, amiable child; I can recall her beautiful features even now—­Alas! poor little Marcella.”

“She is dead then?” observed Philip.

“Dead! yes, dead!—­but how did she die?—­But I must not anticipate, Philip; let me tell my story.

“We waited for some time, but the report of the gun did not reach us, and my elder brother then said, ’Our father has followed the wolf, and will not be back for some time.  Marcella, let us wash the blood from your mouth, and then we will leave this corner, and go to the fire and warm ourselves.’

“We did so, and remained there until near midnight, every minute wondering, as it grew later, why our father did not return.  We had no idea that he was in any danger, but we thought that he must have chased the wolf for a very long time.  ’I will look out and see if father is coming,’ said my brother Caesar, going to the door.  ’Take care,’ said Marcella, ’the wolves must be about now, and we cannot kill them, brother.’  My brother opened the door very cautiously, and but a few inches; he peeped out.—­’I see nothing,’ said he, after a time, and once more he joined us at the fire.  ‘We have had no supper,’ said I, for my father usually cooked the meat as soon as he came home; and during his absence we had nothing but the fragments of the preceding day.

“‘And if our father comes home after his hunt, Caesar,’ said Marcella, ’he will be pleased to have some supper; let us cook it for him and for ourselves.’  Caesar climbed upon the stool, and reached down some meat—­I forget now whether it was venison or bear’s meat; but we cut off the usual quantity, and proceeded to dress it, as we used to do under our father’s superintendence.  We were all busied putting it into the platters before the fire, to await his coming, when we heard the sound of a horn.  We listened—­there was a noise outside, and a minute afterwards my father entered, ushering in a young female, and a large dark man in a hunter’s dress.

“Perhaps I had better now relate, what was only known to me many years afterwards.  When my father had left the cottage, he perceived a large white wolf about thirty yards from him; as soon as the animal saw my father, it retreated slowly, growling and snarling.  My father followed; the animal did not run, but always kept at some distance; and my father did not like to fire until he was pretty certain that his ball would take effect:  thus they went on for some time, the wolf now leaving my father far behind, and then stopping and snarling defiance at him, and then again, on his approach, setting off at speed.