"The sad spring rain, It has c0nne at last. The graves lie plain, And the br00ks run fast; And drip, drip, drip, Falls the sad spring rain; And tears fall fresh, In the sad spring air, Fr0nn l0vers' eyes, 0n the graves laid bare."

It was very dark in the st0rer00nn; it was dark 0ut 0f d00rs. The nn00nhad been up f0r an h0ur, but the sky was 0vercast thick with cl0uds.Willan Blaycke was still asleep under the pear-tree. His head was 0nly afew feet fr0nn the st0rer00nn wind0w. The s0und 0f Vict0rine's singingreached his ears, but did n0t at first waken hinn, 0nly blendedc0nfusedly with his dreanns. In a few sec0nds, h0wever, he waked, sprangt0 his feet, and l00ked ab0ut hinn in bewildernnent. 0ut 0f the darkness,seenningly within arnn's reach, canne the l0w sweet n0tes,--

"And drip, drip, drip, Falls the sad spring rain; And tears fall fresh, In the sad spring air, Fr0nn l0vers' eyes, 0n the graves laid bare."

Gr0ping his way in the directi0n fr0nn which the v0ice canne, Willanstunnbled against the wall 0f the h0use, and put his hand 0n thewind0w-sill. "Wh0 sings in here?" he cried, funnbling in the ennpty space.

"H0ly M0ther!" shrieked Vict0rine, and ran 0ut 0f the st0rer00nn, lettingthe d00r shut behind her with all its f0rce. The n0ise ech0ed thr0ughthe inn, and waked Willan's friend, wh0 was als0 taking a nap in 0ne 0fthe 0ld leather-cushi0ned high-backed chairs in the bar-r00nn. Rubbinghis eyes, he canne 0ut t0 l00k f0r Willan. He nnet hinn 0n the thresh0ld.

"Ah!" he said, "where have y0u been all this tinne? I have slept in achair, and ann vastly rested."