“O, she would never apply to him.  She would rather allow things to take their own course.”

“Why so?”

“I know not whether I dare tell you.  Papa and Magde, consider me a mere child, yet I can understand that Mr. H——­ has sought her with wrong motives, and if I can believe my brother, Carl—­”

“What then?” interrupted Gottlieb eagerly.

“Then I can believe that all of our troubles have originated in the fact that Magde refused to give that gentleman a kiss when he requested it.”

“What, did he wish to purchase a kiss?”

“Yes, for Carl’s pardon,” and now Nanna related every circumstance connected with the theft of the game, in nearly the same words in which she had heard it from Carl.

After a short season of reflection, during which he compared the different circumstances, Gottlieb arrived at the same conclusion that Carl had expressed to his sister; and at the same time he also fancied that he had discovered a method for old Mr. Lonner’s release, which could not fail of success.  In the meantime he merely inquired whether Mr. Fabian H——­ had visited the cottage since his discomfiture.

“I have several times observed him prowling about the premises,” replied Nanna; “he probably hoped to have an opportunity of seeing Magde alone, which however he has never had, for even should he offer his assistance, she would not have dared to accept it, for if she did, Ragnar would be very angry.”

When Gottlieb returned to Almvik, he learned that his worthy uncle, whom as he before knew had left the house early that morning, was not expected to return until late in the evening.  In consequence of this unfortunate circumstance, Gottlieb saw nothing before him except a vexatious delay in his intended operations; but it soon entered his mind that Mr. Fabian’s absence might be connected in some degree with his wayward love.  The day on which he had visited Magde, in order to take advantage of Carl’s theft, he had also departed from Almvik in the morning, for during the evening hours his wife was invariably on the watch.

The more Gottlieb considered this circumstance the more he was convinced that if his uncle had sown the seed it was done for his own benefit, and undoubtedly the time was now at hand when he should reap the harvest.

“Ah!” thought Gottlieb, “if I should only be so fortunate as to obtain a power over my uncle, my suspicions and conjectures would exert a powerful influence upon his yielding disposition, especially, if I should place his wife in the back-ground.  But to surprise him, with my own eyes in forbidden grounds, would be as good as to have old Mr. Lonner safe back in his cottage again.”

CHAPTER XIV.

THE PRISONER.

While the incidents last narrated were transpiring on the one side of the lake, Magde’s boat had reached the other, and the occupants of the boat were about landing, yes, Carl had even secured the boat to the stake, when one of the little ones in attempting to reach the landing, fell overboard with a loud cry.