"Well, Ruth dear," said Nina, "is Anton at home this evening ?" "He is up-stairs with grandfather, Nina.

Shall I tell him ?" "If you will, dear," said Nina, stooping down and kissing her.
"Nice Nina, dear Nina, good Nina," said the girl, rubbing her glossy curls against her friend's cheeks.

"Ah, dear, how I wish you lived here!" "But I have a father, as you have a grandfather, Ruth." "And he is a Christian." "And so am I, Ruth." "But you like us, and are good, and nice, and dear--and oh, Nina, you are so beautiful! I wish you were one of us, and lived here.

There is Miriam Harter--her hair is as light as yours, and her eyes are as grey." "What has that to do with it ?" "Only I am so dark, and most of us are dark here in Prague.

Anton says that away in Palestine our girls are as fair as the girls in Saxony." "And does not Anton like girls to be dark ?" "Anton likes fair hair--such as yours--and bright grey eyes such as you have got.