“How often have his people seen him brave, with a vigor they could not but admire, the summer’s heat and winter’s ice.  At present the infirmities of age render this rude toil impossible.  He, however, does not cease to correspond with many agricultural societies, and encourage those who have recourse to his counsels.  He is one of those rare men gifted with meditative faculties, and with great practical capacity.”

“How pleasant is it.” said Ireneus, “to suffer my mind to repose in the asylum you have opened for it.  Since my coming hither I have met with none but pure hearts, and have beheld only the mild pictures of a pure and peaceable existence.  How different is it from the agitation of all parties in my own land!  Yet, however, even amid the calm and repose I here enjoy, how I regret it.  I saw it so great and prosperous, and thought its destiny so certain!”

“Console yourself, cousin,” said Ebba, “you will see that country again, which it is both a necessity and a duty for you to love.  You will see it in that normal condition from which it has by a great crisis been thrown.  Moral diseases, like physical ones, sometimes attack men, and God, to punish the errors of a people, to abase its pride, strikes it with one of these mental contagions, yields it up to the effervescence of its bad thoughts, until the people humiliates and corrects itself, bending before the arm of the Avenger in penitence, and returns to the path from which it has wandered.”

Ireneus was amazed to hear her speak thus.  The timid young girl seemed like a prophetess animated with a mighty inspiration.  A flush was on her pale face, and in her glance was the light of enthusiasm.

“You are a noble creature,” said Ireneus, taking her by the hand.  The hand of Ebba lay motionless and pale in his, her blush passed away, and the dark shadows of her habitual melancholy returned.

Just then the sleigh of M. de Vermondans arrived at its destination.  Eric was waiting for them at the threshold, clasped the hand of his father-in-law, and helped Alete out, as Ireneus did as much for Ebba.  The servants took care of the foaming horses.

The little party, as soon as they entered the house, could see that the faithful Eric had sought to avoid the reproaches of his betrothed.  The entrance of the corridor was so completely washed and dried that one might fancy the joiner had just finished the floor.  Through the open kitchen door a large brazier was seen in a glow, and the ringing of plates and dishes was heard.  The antechamber was covered with a woolen carpet, and the Christmas pine brought on the day before from the neighboring forest, decked with garland and moss, rose proudly from a large box, as if it knew how proud a part it played in the festival.

As she passed from the antechamber to the drawing-room, Alete paused to look at the arrangement of the table.  Seeing a false plait in one of the napkins, she was probably about to give vent to her epigrams.  The door of the other room however was opened, and a handsome old man dressed in a long frock appeared.  His head was covered with a cap of black velvet, from beneath which his white hair escaped.  This was Eric’s father, and Alete paid much respect to him.