“Already you sound much different from your cousin!”

“You do not think I sound too countryish and old-fashioned?”

“Of course not.”

“Do you like the country?”

“Yes, but we’ve lived in the city so long I can hardly remember what it’s like,” replied Matthew.

“Oh, I wish I could show you my papa’s estate!”

“Tell me about it,” he said, smiling with pleasure at her obvious excitement.

“I love it so much.”

“Why?”

“There is so much to do.”

“For instance?”

“Oh, riding by horseback through the fields and woods, or all the way to the sea sometimes—do you know the Baltic?”

“My father took me to see it once,” replied Matthew. As he listened, he continued to observe Sabina’s sparkling eyes as she spoke about her enjoyment of the out-of-doors. She was so full of life and enthusiasm!

“I relish walking along the seashore and listening to the waves on the sand and the sounds of gulls—oh, and have you gone to the Alps?” she went on.

“No, we haven’t been that far south.”

“Oh, but you must go!” exclaimed Sabina. “There’s simply no place on earth like Interlaken and the region of the Berner Oberland and Luzern and hiking in the mountains near the Jungfrau! Once we were walking from Wengen around the Lauberhorn to Grindelwald. We hiked up over Wengernalp and to Klein Schneidegg. And then from out of the clearest blue sky came a dreadful thunderstorm. Within moments we were positively drenched! Then the sun came back out again, and by the time we were halfway down the other side to Grindelwald we were dry again—oh, but listen to me! I am going on and on, and you probably aren’t interested in the least! It’s one of my worst faults. I always talk far too much!”

“Please, don’t say that,” laughed Matthew. “I would love nothing more than to hear about the whole adventure from start to finish.”

“You’re probably just saying that so that I won’t feel foolish,” Sabina said, smiling, “but I appreciate it all the same.”

“I promise, I meant every word.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind. But truly, I do love the Alps. I think it is the single place on earth most like what heaven must be like.”

“Heaven?”

“Yes, don’t you wonder what it will be like?”

“I suppose I never thought much about it.”

“But aren’t you a Christian? I thought all Americans were Christians. How can a Christian not think about heaven?”

“You mean, do I believe in God? I suppose so.”

“You suppose so? Don’t you know?”

“I guess I do. It never really mattered before.”

“Don’t you and your father talk about such things?”

“You mean like God and heaven?”

“Yes. My father and I talk about God all the time.”