“Live your life merrily
       While the lamp glows;
     Ere it can fade and die,
       Gather the rose.”

For the tune was floating in his memory as he had heard it sung that morning by the fresh young voices, and out came the joyous notes under the peaceful heavens.

At the cottage window, Aunt Ninette stood looking out for her husband; and as she heard his voice singing this merry melody, it was with nothing short of amazement that she said to herself, “Can that be Uncle Titus?”

CHAPTER IX.

“What must be, must be.”

Time passed quickly at the two houses, in this new and happy companionship.

“Another week gone already!” and “Sunday again so soon!” were the exclamations heard on every side, as each week went by.  And Dora was the happiest of all; the days fairly danced with her:  they certainly had not more than half as many hours as they had had in Karlsruhe, and every evening she was sorry to have to go to bed, and lose in sleep so much of the little time that remained of her visit.  If she could only have passed the whole night at the piano, practising while the others were sleeping, she thought she could have nothing more to desire.  Her arm was now wholly healed, and she was taking music-lessons with a kind of furor; and in Lili she had a teacher whose zeal equaled her own.  A most agreeable teacher too, who did not trouble her pupil with finger-exercises and scales, but gave her tunes at once without more ado; and first of course the favorite, “Live thy life merrily.”  Dora learned the air very quickly with the right hand, and Lili did not require her to learn the left hand yet; declaring that it was quite too difficult to play both together.  All this playing-teacher was so improving to Lili, that she began to make wonderful progress herself, so that Miss Hanenwinkel was equally surprised and pleased at her improvement, and her mother often paused outside of the school-room door to listen to the firm but lively touch with which her little daughter rendered her studies; for Lili had really great talent for music, and now that a sufficient motive had been applied, she advanced rapidly.

Paula was in a state of tranquil blessedness all day long.  She had found a friend, and such a friend!  The reality of this friendship far surpassed her imagination and her hopes, for such a one as Dora she could not have conceived of; one who was so attractive not only to her, but to every member of the family.  Like Dora, Paula grudged the hours passed in sleep, now that there were so few left that they could spend together.