(_Hoffmann von Fallersleben._)

Towards the end of March Reimers was turning over the pages of the
_Weekly Military Gazette_ before dinner, when he saw the announcement
that his dear friend Senior-lieutenant Guentz was to rejoin his regiment
on April 1st. The red order of the Eagle was to be given to him upon
the expiration of his work in Berlin.

Guentz to return! Dear old pedantic Guentz, who had so often and so
ruthlessly opened his eyes for him! To tell the truth, this friend had
almost passed out of his thoughts; yet now he suddenly felt a genuine
longing for him.

During the past winter Reimers had grown much more at home in the
regiment, feeling as a wanderer returned. He felt himself freer and
more light-hearted, and his comrades seemed more congenial. Never had a
winter flown by so swiftly; and yet he counted the days till the 1st.

He had made a special resolve to spend his evenings over his books, and
had plunged with renewed zeal into his studies for the examination of
the Staff College, which had been interrupted by his illness. And then
the feeling of loneliness had suddenly returned. But now all would be
well, now that Guentz was coming back--Guentz, from whom no difference of
rank or age had ever divided him; to whom he could speak straight from
the heart, and on whose sympathy he could at all times rely.

Guentz's return was scarcely alluded to by his brother officers. After
all there was nothing extraordinary about it; every year some one took
up or left a post of the kind he had been filling.

The ladies of the regiment made somewhat more of a stir; for one
question, which had previously been theoretically discussed, now became
suddenly of burning importance.

Guentz had married in Berlin, _and his bride was a governess_. This much
only was known: that she was not even particularly pretty. He had, of
course, obtained the requisite official sanction, so that there could
not be anything actually against her family; but concerning the
reception into their midst of this young person, who had formerly
filled a "menial position," the ladies of the regiment felt somewhat
troubled.

Frau Lischke laid the case before her husband, and begged him to ask
instructions of the colonel.

"H'm," answered the major, "I'll do it; but I don't care for the job.
Falkenhein can be pretty sharp-tongued upon occasion."

"Sharp-tongued?" retorted his wife. "My dearest, surely you are more
than a match for him