fitness as boon companions. He
would drink gladly with this one, but would not care to drink with the
next; and he would often say that there were some whose very company
sours the wine they pay for.

I felt sure that he had heard some one abusing me.

When I left home in the morning, I felt as if supported by the
consciousness of the respect and confidence of my fellow-citizens, but
now--

Suddenly the remarks of the kreis-director recurred to me.

Had the confidence of one party been withdrawn from me, because it was
suspected that the others were trying to lure me to their side? I have
neither the desire nor the proper qualifications for a more exalted
position in the service of the State.

And what could Ernst's notion of emigrating have meant? "Who knows,"
thought I to myself, "what I may yet have to witness on the part of
this son who is always flying the track?"

The night was bitter cold; the snow which had melted during the day had
frozen hard, and our sleigh creaked and rattled as we hurried along the
road.

CHAPTER XVIII.

I have always discouraged a belief in omens, and yet when I saw the
strange cloud-forms that floated before the face of the moon that
night, shadowy forebodings filled my soul. The ringing of the
sleigh-bells was full of a strange melody, and, down in the valley, I
could hear the raging of the torrent which seemed as if angered at the
thought that the frost king would soon again bind it with his fetters.

The sleigh halted at the saw-mill. When I looked up towards the house I
saw that there was a light in the room.

"What are you doing?" I asked Rothfuss.

"I am taking the bells off, so that the mistress may not hear us."

Although we had supposed that no one had noticed our coining, we heard
soft steps advancing to meet us when we reached the house. Martella
opened the door for us.

I entered the room. It was nicely warmed and lighted. The meal which
had been prepared for me was still on the table.

Rothfuss drew off his boots and went off to his room on tiptoe.

"Do you not want to go to bed, Martella? Have you been sitting up all
this time?"

"Indeed I have; and oh, do take it from me!"

"What ails you?"

"Oh, what a night I have passed! I do not know how it all came about;
but mother had gone to bed, and I sat here quite alone in this great,
big house. I looked at the meal that was waiting for our master; at the
bread that ha