andhetalksexactlylikeyouandme.now,thegeneralandhisladycan'tdothat.andgeorgewasfairlywildwithdelightyesterdayatthegoodreceptionhemetwithatthecount's,andsoamito-day,afterspeakingtothegreatman.wasn'titagoodthingthatwedidn'tbindgeorgeapprenticetoahandicraftsman?forhehasabilitiesofhisown."

"buttheymustbehelpedonbyothers,"saidthefather.

"thathelphehasgotnow,"rejoinedthemother;"forthecountspokeoutquiteclearlyanddistinctly."

"butifancyitbeganwiththegeneral,"saidthefather,"andwemustthankthemtoo."

"letusdosowithallmyheart,"criedthemother,"thoughifancywehavenotmuchtothankthemfor.iwillthankthegoodgod;andiwillthankhim,too,forlettinglittleemilygetwell."

emilywasgettingonbravely,andgeorgegotonbravelytoo.inthecourseoftheyearhewonthelittlesilverprizemedaloftheacademy,andafterwardshegainedthegreatonetoo.

"itwouldhavebeenbetter,afterall,ifhehadbeenapprenticedtoahandicraftsman,"saidtheporter'swife,weeping;"forthenwecouldhavekepthimwithus.whatishetodoinrome?ishallnevergetasightofhimagain,notevenifhecomesback;butthathewon'tdo,thedearboy."

"itisfortuneandfameforhim,"saidthefather.

"yes,thankyou,myfriend,"saidthemother;"youaresayingwhatyoudonotmean.youarejustassorrowfulasiam."

anditwasalltrueaboutthesorrowandthejourney.buteverybodysaiditwasagreatpieceofgoodfortunefortheyoungfellow.andhehadtotakeleave,andofthegeneraltoo.thegeneral'sladydidnotshowherself,forshehadherbadthisoccasionthegeneraltoldhisonlyanecdote,aboutwhathehadsaidtotheprince,andhowtheprincehadsaidtohim,"youareincomparable."andheheldoutalanguidhandtogeorge.

emilygavegeorgeherhandtoo,andlookedalmostsorry;andgeorgewasthemostsorryofall.

timegoesbywhenonehassomethingtodo;anditgoesby,too,whenonehasnothingtodo.thetimeisequallylong,butnotequallyuseful.itwasusefultogeorge,anddidnotseemlongatall,exceptwhenhehappenedtobethinkingofhishome.howmightthegoodfolksbegettingon,upstairsanddownstairs?yes,therewaswritingaboutthat,andmanythingscanbeputintoaletter-brightsunshineanddark,heavydays.bothofthesewereintheletterwhichbroughtthenewsthathisfatherwasdead,andthathismotherwasalonenow.shewrotethatemilyhadcomedowntoseeher,andhadbeentoherlikeanangelofcomfort;andconcerningherself,sheaddedthatshehadbeenallowedtokeephersituationasporteress.

thegeneral'sladykeptadiary,andinthisdiarywasrecordedeveryballsheattendedandeveryvisitshereceived.thediarywasillustratedbytheinsertionofthevisitingcardsofthediplomaticcircleandofthemostnoblefamilies;andthegeneral'sladywasproudofit.thediarykeptgrowingthroughalongtime,andamidmanysevereheadaches,andthroughalongcourseofhalf-nights,thatistosay,ofcourtballs.emilyhadnowbeentoacourtballforthefirsttime.hermotherhadwornabrightreddress,withblacklace,inthespanishstyle;thedaughterhadbeenattiredinwhite,fairanddelicate;greensilkribbonsflutteredlikeflag-leavesamongheryellowlocks,andonherheadsheworeawreathofwater-reyesweresoblueandclear,hermouthwassodelicateandred,shelookedlikealittlewaterspirit,asbeautifulassuchaspiritcanbeimagined.theprincesdancedwithher,oneafteranotherofcourse;andthegeneral'sladyhadnotaheadacheforaweekafterwards.

butthefirstballwasnotthelast,andemilycouldnotstandit;itwasagoodthing,therefore,thatsummerbroughtwithitrest,andexerciseintheopenair.thefamilyhadbeeninvitedbytheoldcounttovisithimathimcastle.thatwasacastlewithagardenwhichwasworthseeing.partofthisgardenwaslaidoutquiteinthestyleoftheolddays,withstiffgreenhedges;youwalkedasifbetweengreenwallswithpeep-holesinthem.boxtreesandyewtreesstoodtheretrimmedintotheformofstarsandpyramids,andwatersprangfromfountainsinlargegrottoeslinedwithshells.allaroundstoodfiguresofthemostbeautifulstone-thatcouldbeseenintheirclothesaswellasintheirfaces;everyflower-bedhadadifferentshape,andrepresentedafish,oracoatofarms,oramonogram.thatwasthefrenchpartofthegarden;andfromthispartthevisitorcameintowhatappearedlikethegreen,freshforest,wherethetreesmightgrowastheychose,andaccordinglytheyweregreatandglorious.thegrasswasgreen,andbeautifultowalkon,anditwasregularlycut,androlled,andswept,andtended.thatwastheenglishpartofthegarden.

"oldtimeandnewtime,"saidthecount,"heretheyrunwellintooneanother.intwoyearsthebuildingitselfwillputonaproperappearance,therewillbeacompletemetamorphosisinbeautyandimprovement.ishallshowyouthedrawings,andishallshowyouthearchitect,forheistodinehereto-day."

"charming!"