"God be praised, dear husband," she said, "that our Marianne is improving. It was hard to refuse her the nursing, but I hoped the lesson might rouse her, and I was right."
Then, smiling at her husband, she sank back on her pillow and soon was enjoying her first restful sleep.
CHAPTER XIII
THE JOURNAL
Marianne had first heard of her Aunt Erna's journal in Berlin.
It had been on the night when Ludwig Brandt had come in with the news that the French had made the French Consul, Napoleon, Emperor.
When he had told his news the children with glowing faces informed him that their Carl had been kissed that very day by the Queen.
Ludwig, who was always serious, called the little fellow to his knee. Marianne never forgot how solemn it all was.
"Listen, my little Carl," he said, and waited until the laughter had all died from the chubby dimpled face, "a great and noble woman has kissed you. All your life think of it as a kiss of baptism. The call of war will come to you as to all Germans. Let the kiss of the Queen make of you a brave, a true, a patriotic soldier!"