their long coats without collars, and
high, boots drawn up above the knees. These high boots are the
uncontested right of the upper class of farmers: the peasants and day
labourers, even to this day, wear shoes and short leather breeches, or
long ones of coarse canvass. The Roettmaennin, who had not left the house
for a whole year, was all at once as active as a young girl. The sledge
was brought to the door, feather beds were placed in it, and the
parents drove with their son to the Forest Mill. A messenger preceded
them to announce their arrival. The amazement was unbounded at the
Forest Mill at the appearance of the Roettmaennin herself. The miller's
wife was especially gracious, and the daughter could not avoid being
also polite, though her eyes were red from crying; in other respects
she looked neat and pretty, and any man who sought her hand from
affection, might well be proud of such a bride. Adam followed his
parents mechanically into the room, as if without any will of his own;
and at the same moment, when the flakes of snow were gently falling in
the valley before the Pastor's house, pledges were finally exchanged,
and Adam was betrothed to Tony.

It scarcely seemed as if a living hand were stretched out to receive a
living one, when Adam clasped that of his bride, but he endeavoured to
make the best of it, and swallowed long draughts of the good red wine
that the Forest Miller placed on the table. They sat together feasting
till the evening. Speidel Roettmann had the power of incessantly
drinking, and as incessantly eating; and he continued throwing large
morsels of meat, right and left, into the jaws of his huge mastiffs;
and the snapping, and growling, and gobbling was wonderful to hear,
every single bone being crunched up. To be able to drink wine, and more
wine, and wine without end, is an advantage that men possess over
animals. While Speidel Roettmann was placing glass after glass to his
lips, he kept stroking the head of one of his great dogs, as if to say,
drinking is my privilege, and not yours. They insisted on Adam
remaining in the kitchen with his bride, who was preparing some hot
mulled wine; and the two fathers drank merrily together, while their
wives gossiped in a low tone.

When the fathers agreed that the affair with Martina would now be
easily broken off, the Forest Miller laughed, and said, "Young people
are become very prudish now-a-days."

"They have no sense whatever," rejoined Spei