fect
that Prussia's proposal to the German Diet might lead to a conflict,
the consequences of which it was impossible to foretell. Thus public
and private affairs kept us in unusual excitement, when an unexpected
event claimed our attention.

A rumor had long been current in our family that we had relatives of
high rank living in Vienna. Up to the year 1805, our village and the
whole district had belonged to Austria. All of the more ambitious and
talented among our people had been drawn to Vienna, either by their own
desire to advance themselves, or by the inducements the government held
out to them; for it was the constant aim of Austria to gain the
attachment of the landed interests.

At the beginning of the last century, an uncle of my father had moved
to the Imperial city, where he attained a high position. He had
embraced the Catholic religion, and had been ennobled. Ernst, who
always called that branch of the family "the root brood," had long
cherished the plan of hunting up our relatives, in the hope of thus
finding a better opening for himself.

Towards spring we received a visit from our neighbor, Baron Arven. He
was accompanied by a young bridal couple. He introduced the husband,
who was an officer at the garrison of Mayence, as a relative of mine.
The wife belonged to the family of the Baroness Arven, and was from
Bohemia. They seemed sociable and charming people, and both sides were
inclined to make friends with each other, but without success. Our
thoughts and feelings were pitched in different keys.

The young couple left us in order to repair to the capital. On their
departure, I gave them a letter to Bertha, and the Major. They wrote to
me in the kindest manner, and remarked that they would be pleased if
Ernst could assume the charge of the forests on their estate in
Moravia.

CHAPTER XX.

Spring had come, and the air was filled with the resinous odor of the
pines. I was sitting by the open window, and reading in a newspaper
that Bismarck had asked the Diet for a constituent national assembly,
to be voted for directly by the people. Could it be possible? I took up
the country journals: they reviled this proposal, and could not conceal
their fear that the most powerful weapon of the revolutionary party had
been destroyed.

While I was sitting there, buried in thought, I heard a rider rapidly
approaching. It was Ernst. He hurriedly greeted us, and showed us an