nt to know all their names and idiosyncrasies, and
began to take a certain interest in them. Above all had the case of
Frielinghausen appealed to her. The sympathetic little seamstress saw
in him something of the romantic disguised prince; and it amused her to
make the credulous Wiegandt a little jealous, until at last she would
assure him with a hearty kiss that he was her dearest and best.

When the corporal had gone off to his rendezvous, Frielinghausen was
left in supervision of Room IX. The sergeant-major had arranged it
thus, in order that from the very beginning the young man might become
accustomed to responsibility. And the charge was quite an easy one. By
evening none of the recruits had much inclination to make a noise or to
get into mischief. All the day-time, from morning till evening, was
occupied in the various branches of their duty; and the hours which
then remained were completely filled up with the brushing and polishing
of their clothes and accoutrements. It they could have done as they
liked, they would have gone to bed directly after evening stable-duty;
but that was not permitted until nine o'clock.

So when their cleaning up was done and they sat on their stools round
the table, most of them would stretch their arms on the top and fall
asleep; occasionally some one would scribble a few lines home. When
bedtime came at last, none of them tarried; but, drunken with sleep,
would tramp one after the other up the stairs to the dormitory.

Some, of course, were more fatigued by the work than others. Vogt and
Weise were among those who got on best. Both were strong, healthy lads,
and, moreover, not stupid; so that the theoretical instruction was as
easy to them as the foot-drill, gun-practice, and gymnastics. To be
attentive and quick--that was the chief thing.

Among the worst were Truchsess the fat brewer, the clerk Klitzing, and
Frielinghausen.

The brewer, it is true, was a strong, powerful man, but far too slow in
his movements. Klitzing, on the other hand, was too weak for the
demands of the drill. It was impossible for him, in the gun-practice,
to raise the end of the gun-carriage as "Number 3," or as "Number 5" to
direct the pole of the carriage; in gymnastics he would hang helplessly
on the horizontal bar; and even in the foot-drill it was difficult for
him to stand up straight.

When Vogt advised him to report himself as ill he refused. "No, I won't
go into hospital. Never!"

"Why not?