CHAPTER TWELVE.
FAMILY COUNCILS.
"I have to thank you, dear mother, for this!" said Fritz, with an affectionate smile, to Madame Dort.

"How did you contrive such a pleasant surprise ?" "You told me of your trouble, my son," she replied; "so I did my best to help you under the circumstances." "And you, little traitress," exclaimed he, turning to Madaleine.

"How could you keep me in suspense all those weary weeks that have elapsed since the year began ?" "I did not think you cared so much," said she defiantly.
"Cared!" he repeated.
"Well, it was not my fault," she explained.

"When I wrote to you last, I really never thought I should see you again." "You don't know me yet," said Fritz.

"I should have hunted you out to the world's end! I had determined, as soon as I had seen mother, to go off to Darmstadt and find out what had become of you." "And a nice wild-goose chase you would have had," answered Madaleine, tossing her head, and shaking the silky masses of golden hair, now unconfined by any jealous coiffe, with her blue eyes laughing fun.