"Now I feel better. I have been choking with this for a long while. Thank you On the road they overtook the saddlefor having listened so patiently. Young horses, which had been sent homewards in friend," he continued, laying his hand advance of the party. The horses were kindly on Eric's shoulder, I am angry wholly enveloped in coverings, so that only

their eyes and feet were visible. Sonnen- | ideas, he merely cautioned his son as to kamp ordered a halt to be made; the crea- there being no need of such utter submistures' great eyes were fixed with a singular sion to a paid person, adding that he saw expression on their master from under their close coverings. He severely reprimanded one of the grooms, whom he had seen at a distance sitting on one of the horses instead of walking by the animal's side. The next act of disobedience should lose the man his place. As they drove on, Roland made the remark that these horses were better clothed than many men.

Sonnenkamp threw a sidelong glance of surprise at his son, but made no answer.

All at once Roland beckoned to the driver to stop. He had noticed by the road-side the teamster, employed in carting the stone bottles to the mineral-spring, whom he had walked with on that eventful night. Alighting, Roland held out his hand to the man and requested him to tell the hostler, when he met him, that he was innocent; whereupon he resumed his seat in the carriage, the teamster all the while staring after him, while his father desired him to tell him more about the strange rencontre. Roland related all he knew, not omitting the legend of the laughing sprite; but the story about this sprite seemed to have no effect upon Sonnenkamp's risibles; and when Roland remarked, that he liked to familiarize himself with the life of poor people battling with abject misery, Sonnenkamp whistled the inaudible tune to himself. At the same time, the more Roland talked, the more surprised did his father appear at the mental activity of the lad; and the conversation in the old castle, after Claus had questioned him, was brought back to his mind with strange associations and

connections.

Sonnenkamp was inwardly debating what to do. To dismiss Eric on the spot would not answer, on Roland's account; such peremptory dismissal might only make him cling all the more obstinately to his erroneous views and tendencies. Besides, it would be ill-advised to bring about a rupture with Eric, on account of the Cabinetsräthin, especially since she had expressed herself strongly on the point of procuring the assistance of Eric's mother; above all else, however, Clodwig had to be considered, for the connection with Clodwig was not Pranken's, but Eric's work, and Clodwig was the most powerful ally in the execution of the plan.

no necessity of his fretting too much about his studies, which might do well enough for people who had to fight their way in life, but certainly not for a young man who required just about knowledge enough to be able to express an opinion of his own. He admonished his son not to allow his life to be disturbed by fantasies; and found it an easy task once more to make the glitter of a soldier's life in the capital appear very attractive to him.

Soon after the first salutations were exchanged, Sonnenkamp enquired of Eric where he had been the day before; putting this question very much like a master, whose servant's time is by right his own, and who is therefore justified in demanding a proper account thereof.

Eric told him of his visit to Wolfsgarten, dwelling more particularly on a description of the Russian prince.

Sonnenkamp smiled; he was pleased to see, that this proud virtue knew so well how to hide his deviations from the straight path.

Roland was evidently inclined to break through the strict discipline which Eric had introduced, and which he himself had re-established; whenever he stayed through a lesson he looked sullen, the instigations of his father beginning to show their effect. A glance at Eric frequently would show the latter, that Roland almost looked upon him as his jailor. Hitherto Roland had only seen things with Eric's eyes, and regarded whatever happened to him as if he were expected to accept it for Eric's sake; all this was now at an end. In the dim distance still resounded the notes of martial music and the laughter of military officers conversing gaily.

Eric could not but notice this change in his pupil; it made him feel sad. He could devote all his energy to Roland." Roland received it much against his will; and since he no longer hesitated to manifest his displeasure, his ill-humor of old returned and revived. Again and again the hardship of a tutor's profession presented itself to Eric's mind. He lived the past over again. In his garrison, when off duty, he had lived quietly by himself; at the parental home he was allowed. to indulge in his own fancies, his mother having Sonnenkamp was actuated by a twofold been habituated by his father to the belief, jealousy the clergy had taken one child that she ought to wait quietly to be spoken from him; this time, a man of the world was to, inasmuch as learned men ought not to on the point of taking away the other. He be disturbed in their reflections; and Eric did not disapprove in direct terms of Eric's | had been treated in the same way: he was

never disturbed, and was left entirely to his | only did he realize what had happened, and own thoughts. Now, however, at table, or what was to follow. Pranken referred while out driving, he had to answer the slightingly to Eric, as to a man to whom he numerous queries of both pupil and father, might make certain concessions from sheer who were fond of asking questions, and pity. Merrily he bade Roland farewell. Afhaving intricate ones solved for them. For ter he had gone, Roland felt that he could no a long, long time, he had been accustomed longer have any love for Pranken, and to an independent life, devoted to his own realized a sense of loss; he quietly remental improvement; now, however, it mained standing at the table, looking down seemed to him as if, together with his state upon the money before him. In a childlike of servitude, he were losing himself, as if way he began to count the sum Eric had he were but the shadow of his former past, received. For what length of time had he and nothing new nor fresh was stirring in received it? He could not make it out, him, while all his former thoughts and feel- and turned angrily aside to look out of the ings appeared to require a forcible awak- window. Behind him on the table lay the ening. Eric mourned over his mental de- money; he felt as if somebody near him cline. Formerly he had hardly dared to were whispering all the time: Forget me confess to himself, that he had derived new not! animation and pleasure from being near Bella-and that was to cease henceforth. What then remained for him?

He stood aghast at perceiving, that the whole sanctity of his inner self had been staked on another being, and a new revelation came to him, which made Sonnenkamp's dissatisfaction, as well as that of his pupil, appear as a just penalty. He redoubled his zeal, but in vain.

Meanwhile Eric was still in the room with Sonnenkamp, who, with an air of great astonishment, said,

“You are wantonly destroying all attachment between us."

Eric replied, that he might perhaps have chosen a more appropriate time, and that nothing but the manner in which he had been paid had compelled him to act as he

had done.

"Have I hurt your feelings?"

An event, seemingly trifling, and of a surprising nature, brought the disturbing "I am not very sensitive. I appreciate elements to a crisis. Sonnenkamp paid money as far as it deserves to appreciated Eric the first instalment of his salary in and am always pleased at receiving my honRoland's presence, looking all the while tri-est wages. I am inclined to think that I umphantly at his son. Eric trembled, but love your son more than-no matter! there quickly recovered his self-control. He took is no standard to measure love by, it can the gold and advanced a step or two to-only be measured by itself." wards the window at which Roland was I am obliged to you." standing. Sonnenkamp supposed, for a moment, that he was going to throw the gold out of the window, but Eric said, in a tone of forced composure:

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Roland, take my pay and carry the money to my room. There you may wait for me."

Roland took the gold, looking confusedly at his father and Eric.

"Do me the favor of carrying that gold to my room," repeated Eric. And now go." Roland went. He carried the money as if it were a heavy burden, and repaired to Eric's room, where he deposited it on the table. He then turned to go, when the thought suddenly occurred to him, that he ought also to watch it; he was on the point of locking the room, when he remembered, that Eric had ordered him to wait for his coming. He stood there, while everything seemed to be whirling around. What had happened?

Suddenly Pranken came in to bid him good-bye. He congratulated Roland upon his speedy deliverance from Eric. Then

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"I beg your pardon, sir; allow me to finish my sentence. Just because I love your son, I prefer to have the blame fall upon me rather than upon his father." Upon me?"

"Yes, sir. I might have paid you back for the way in which you paid me off in my pupil's presence; I might have told you that free labor-I abstain from using the word love, and simply confine myself to refer to such work as one man will do freely for another - can never be paid. I suppressed my feelings, because I wished that your son should love and respect you more than he does other people, than even myself."

Sonnenkamp clenched his fists. He stared at Eric for awhile, but soon looked down; he had to make a strong effort upon himself in order not to betray that he trembled. At last he said.

"I don't know what you mean by some expressions you have used, and I don't want to know. But I am the man to put a bullet through the forehead of him who attempts

the face.

"I very readily comprehend your excite- | tunity to tell you that I have endeavored to ment," said Eric, quietly straightening him- make Roland good-hearted, but not weakself up and looking Sonnenkamp coolly in hearted. He is to comprehend the goodly advantages of his life, so that he may receive and make his own the noblest and the highest; he is to be a noble administrator of the grand power that is to be put into his hands."

"Who are you? Who am I?" asked Sonnenkamp, while his features were strangely distorted.

"I am your son's tutor, and I know the accountableness of my position; I am in your service; this is your house, you can turn me out of it at once."

"I will not do that not that! Have I said that I would? I must only explain myself to you, and you must explain yourself to me. Have you not said to Roland that the time will come, or has already come, when there would no longer be any private property?"

Eric assured him that he had not the remotest purpose of doing anything of the kind; he was sorry that he made use of the illustration, and regretted Roland's misconception.

Let us sit down," said Sonnenkamp, his knees trembling. "Let us talk calmly, like reasonable men, like friends, if I may, be allowed to say so."

He whistled to himself, and then said, in a wholly different tone,

Eric unfolded this more in detail, and Sonnenkamp, extending his hand to him, said,

"You are-you are - a noble man, you have also to be my educator. Forget what has happened. I trust you now, unconditionally. I confide in you, that you will not alienate from me the heart of my child, that you will not make him a soft-hearted helper of everybody and everything."

Sonnenkamp jerked these words out forcibly, for he inwardly chafed, that this man, whom he wanted to humble, had humbled him, so that he was compelled to stand before him like a beggar, entreating a stranger not to alienate from him the heart of his child.

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Why," he at last began again, “I pray you, I only ask for information, for I am convinced that you have good grounds for every such step,". a spiteful glance, notwithstanding all his guarded discretion, gleamed forth at this question-"I only ask for information, why you have restrained Roland from making a free use of his purse, as, since my return, I have been informed is the case."

"I cannot give definite reasons for all my doings, but I have a valid one for this. Roland lavishes and squanders money, and he does it ignorantly and wantonly, while I consider the control of money a part of self-control."

And now Eric informed Sonnenkamp what an impression the robbery had made upon Roland. Exultantly Sonnenkamp cried out:

“I must tell you, that irrespective of this mistake, your whole tone of thought seems to me dangerous to my son. You seem to me, in fact, a philanthropist, and I honor that; you are one of those persons who would like to thank every common laborer in the road for his toil, and pay him also as much as possible. You see I believe your philanthropy is genuine, and not taken up merely for the sake of popularity. But this philanthropy-I speak without any disguise is not the thing for my son. My son will have, at some time, a princely income; and if a rich man must go through life in this way, always looking around to see where there is poverty, where there is not adequate compensation, he would be con- "I am rejoiced that he has found out so demned to greater wretchedness than the early how completely one is surrounded in beggar in the ditch. The worst thing that the world by knaves; he will be cautious could be done to my son would be to make whenever he comes to manage his own afhim sentimental, or even pitiful and com- fairs. Yes, Herr Philosopher, write down passionate. I am not one of those men, and in your books: The one trait in which man I would not have my son to be one, who are surpasses the brutes is, that man is the only eternally longing after the ineffable, and, as animal who can dissemble and can lie. And I believe, unattainable; I want for myself the sooner and the more perfectly my son and for my son a practical enjoyment of ex- can know that fact, so much the better am istence. Believe me, a contraband-trade I pleased. I should be very glad if Roland will be driven in feelings, if one persuades had been through the second grade of himself that men in lower conditions have schools." the same susceptibilities that we have."

"I thank you," replied Eric, "for this straightforward plainness of speech, and I am glad that you have given me the oppor

"The second grade?"

When Eric came to Roland, the latter stretched out both his hands to him. "I thank you," cried the boy," for treat-lieves in the noble and kindly, that is ing me as my father treated you; yes, I will have nothing more to do with money. I beseech you, forgive my father for paying you like a servant."

They went to the Major's, but did not find The Wine-count was his principal comhim in. They walked for a long time to-petitor for the country-house offered for gether, until after dark, without speaking a sale; it was said he wanted to purchase it word. for his son-in-law, the son of the Marshal of the Prince's household. Sonnenkamp closed the bargain immediately.