entions towards me with
apparent ingratitude?"

"No excuse, my young friend," answered the general, "you are but the
counterpart of your father; just like him, precipitate in praise and
blame, in decision and speech. That he was an honorable man, I know,
and I know also how unhappy his violent temper made him, as well as his
obstinacy, which he called firmness."

"But tell me, dear sir," replied Albert, "could I have acted otherwise
to-day? Did not the conduct of Truchses push me to extremities?"

"You might have acted otherwise, if you had humoured the ways of that
man, who gave you a specimen of his character the other day. You ought
to have known also that there were many present who would not have seen
you imposed upon. But you threw away the good with the bad, or as the
proverb says, 'You threw away the child out of the bathing tub with the
water,' and flew out of the room."

"Age and experience will, I trust, cool my blood in due time," replied
Albert; "I can put up with harshness and severity, when they do not
affect my honour. But premeditated insult, contempt for the misfortunes
of my family, is beyond all bearing. What pleasure could a man of his
high station find in wounding my feelings?"

"His wrath always manifests itself in that way," Fronsberg informed
him; "the more cool and collected he appears outwardly, the more
fiercely he burns within. It was his idea alone to send you to
Tuebingen, partly because he knew of no one else who was so well
acquainted with the place, partly because he wished to repair the
injustice he had done you. But you have affronted him by your refusal,
and lowered him in the eyes of the council of war."

"How!" cried Albert, "Truchses himself proposed me? I thought it was
your doing."

"No," answered the General, with a significant smile; "no, I did all I
could to prevent it; but to no purpose, for I could not tell him the
real state of the case. I knew, before you came before us, that you
would decline accepting the office. But do not open your eyes so wide,
as if you would pierce through one's leather jacket, and look into my
heart. I know enough of the history of my young hot-brain!"

Albert felt confused. "Were not my reasons satisfactory?" said he: "is
there any thing more you wish to know, and which you may think
mysterious?"

"There is nothing exactly mysterious; but you should have decided upon
your line of action beforehand, for if you do not wish to be noticed,