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The vintner snatched off his hat apologetically and swung it round on the tips of his fingers

"Is this the way you work?"

"I have picked nine baskets"

"You should have picked twelve"

It interested her highness to note that this handso felloas not afraid of the head vintner So this was Gretchen's lover? He was really handsoure And presently she realized that he was returning her scrutiny with interest He had never seen her highness at close range before, and he no that Gretchen was h the eyes of a lover

The pause was broken by Gretchen

"Pardon, Highness!"

"For what, Gretchen?"

"For not having seen your approach"

"That was e, Highness"

Her highness then spoke to the bridegrooood to her?"

"Who could help it, your Highness?"

The pronoun struck her oddly, for peasants as a usual thing never used it in addressing the nobility

"Well, on the day of the wedding I will stand sponsor to you both And good luck go with you Come, Hoffman; my horse will be restive and my men impatient"

She passed down the aisle, and the head vintner folloagging his head He was not at all satisfied with that tableau He employed men to work; he wanted no love-affairs inside his vineyards As for her highness, she had co Gretchen's lover; and it occurred to her that the really desirable e loomily

"He will not dare," returned Gretchen "We have done nothing wrong Her highness will stand by us Itat the sun

"In that case, nothe basket to his shoulder, and the sun, flashing upon its contents, turned the bloolobes into dull rubies He presented his card at the office and was duly credited with three crohich, according to Gretchen, was a fine day's work Hoff about dismissal

"Come day after to- feast-days ork begins All su you loaf about, but the minute you start to work you must find excuses to lay off Clear out, both of you!"

"Work at last," said Dietrich, as he and Gretchen started for the city "If I can get a position in the brewery for the winter I shall be rich"

"Oh, the beautiful world!"