The next day he might have been again disappointed but for a lucky circumstance.
Norbert was seated on the turf, awaiting with fond expectation the young girl's approach and as Diana passed the opening to the pathway Bruno scented her, and rushed forward with a joyous bark.

She had then no option but to walk up to the spot where Norbert was seated.

Both the young people were for the moment equally embarrassed, and Norbert stood silent, holding in his hand the letter which had caused him so much labor to indite.
"I have ventured to wait for you here, mademoiselle," said he in a voice which trembled with suppressed emotion, "because I was full of anxiety to know how you have been.

How did you contrive to return home with your wounded foot ?" He paused, awaiting a word of encouragement, but the girl made no reply, and he continued,-- "I was tempted to call and make inquiries at your father's house, but you had forbidden me to speak of the accident, and I did not dare to disobey you." "I thank you sincerely," faltered Diana.
"Yesterday," the young man went on, "I passed the whole day here.

Are you angry with me for my stupidity?
I had thought that perhaps you had noticed my anxiety, and might have deigned to----" He stopped short, terrified at his own audacity.
"Yesterday," returned Diana with the most ingenuous air in the world, and not appearing to perceive the young man's embarrassment, "I was detained at home by my mother." "Yes," replied he, "for the past two days your form, lying senseless and bleeding on the ground, has ever been before my eyes, for I felt as if I were a murderer.