ior smile on Ulrich's lips, the faster his heart
throbbed. His eyes searched the grass, and when he had discovered a
flat, sharp-edged stone, he hurriedly stooped, pressed silently into the
ranks of the players, and bending the upper part of his body far back,
summoned all his strength, and hurled the stone in a beautiful curve
high into the air.

Forty sparkling eyes followed it, and a loud shout of joy rang out as it
vanished behind the church roof. One alone, a tall, thin, black-haired
lad, remained silent, and while the others were begging Ulrich to throw
again, searched for a stone, exerted all his power to equal the 11
"greenhorn," and almost succeeded. Ulrich now sent a second stone
after the first, and, again the cast was successful. Dark-browed Xaver
instantly seized a new missile, and the contest that now followed so
engrossed the attention of all, that they saw and heard nothing until a
deep voice, in a firm, though not unkind tone, called: "Stop, boys! No
games must be played with the church."

At these words the younger boys hastily dropped the stones they had
gathered, for the man who had shouted, was no less a personage than the
Lord Abbot himself.

Soon the lads approached to kiss the ecclesiastic's hand or sleeve, and
the stately priest, who understood how to guide those subject to him
by a glance of his dark eyes, graciously and kindly accepted the
salutation.

"Grave in office, and gay in sport" was his device. Count von
Frohlinger, who had entered the garden with him, looked like one whose
motto runs: "Never grave and always gay."

The nobleman had not grown younger since Ulrich's mother fled into the
world, but his eyes still sparkled joyously and the brick-red hue that
tinged his handsome face between his thick white moustache and his eyes,
announced that he was no less friendly to wine than to fair women. How
well his satin clothes and velvet cloak became him, how beautifully
the white puffs were relieved against the deep blue of his dress!
How proudly the white and yellow plumes arched over his cap, and how
delicate were the laces on his collar and cuffs! His son, the very image
of the handsome father, stood beside him, and the count had laid his
hand familiarly on his shoulder, as if he were not his child, but a
friend and comrade.

"A devil of a fellow!" whispered the count to the abbot. "Did you see
the fair-haired lad's throw? From what house does the young noble come?"

The prelate