"Quite well, I thank you."
"Lady Feodora has been quite ill," added the baronet, "or we should have been in Brussels by this time."
"I have not been very ill; but father thought we had better remain here a few days. Now I am almost glad I was ill, since it gives me the pleasure of seeing you again," continued the young lady, with a childish candor which brought a frown to the brow of the little baronet.
"You are very kind, Lady Feodora."
Sir William thought so too.
"We have been all over the castle, Captain Shuffles; and I am going to be your guide," continued she, playfully.
"I am afraid your health will not permit you to do so much," suggested Sir William.
"O, I feel quite strong now."
The conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Feodora's father and mother, who extended to Shuffles a cordial and hearty greeting. Mr. Lowington and the party were warmly welcomed by the earl's family. The business of sight-seeing required immediate attention, and Shuffles was taken into a carriage with his English friends; for the daughter insisted upon redeeming her promise. Sir William evidently did not enjoy the excursion; but he was apparently unwilling to be left at the hotel.
Heidelberg is beautifully located on a narrow strip of land between the River Neckar and the vast, high rock on which the castle stands. It has one principal street, nearly three miles long, and contains a population of about seventeen thousand. It is situated in the midst of some of the finest scenery in Germany; and all tourists agree in calling it one of the most delightful residences in Europe. The students walked through the principal street and along the banks of the Neckar until dinner time, when Professor Mapps found an opportunity to say something about the place.