he never looked back at the
'Halbmond,' but went whistling down the road."

"That is a good riddance," said I.

"Yes. But my sister says she must return to Worms. And Lottchen has
given notice; she says the place will not be worth having when Thekla
leaves. I wish I could give notice too."

"Try Thekla again."

"Not I," said he, reddening. "It would seem now as if I only wanted her
for a housekeeper. Besides, she avoids me at every turn, and will not
even look at me. I am sure she bears me some ill-will about that
ne'er-do-well."

There was silence between us for some time, which he at length broke.

"The pastor has a good and comely daughter. Her mother is a famous
housewife. They often have asked me to come to the parsonage and smoke a
pipe. When the vintage is over, and I am less busy, I think I will go
there, and look about me."

"When is the vintage?" asked I. "I hope it will take place soon, for I
am growing so well and strong I fear I must leave you shortly; but I
should like to see the vintage first."

"Oh, never fear! you must not travel yet awhile; and Government has
fixed the grape-gathering to begin on the fourteenth."

"What a paternal Government! How does it know when the grapes will be
ripe? Why cannot every man fix his own time for gathering his own
grapes?"

"That has never been our way in Germany. There are people employed by
the Government to examine the vines, and report when the grapes are
ripe. It is necessary to make laws about it; for, as you must have seen,
there is nothing but the fear of the law to protect our vineyards and
fruit-trees; there are no enclosures along the Berg-Strasse, as you tell
me you have in England; but, as people are only allowed to go into the
vineyards on stated days, no one, under pretence of gathering his own
produce, can stray into his neighbour's grounds and help himself,
without some of the duke's foresters seeing him."

"Well," said I, "to each country its own laws."

I think it was on that very evening that Thekla came in for something.
She stopped arranging the tablecloth and the flowers, as if she had
something to say, yet did not know how to begin. At length I found that
her sore, hot heart, wanted some sympathy; her hand was against every
one's, and she fancied every one had turned against her. She looked up
at me, and said, a little abruptly,--

"Does the gentleman know that I go on the fifteenth?"

"So soon?" said I, with surprise. "I thoug