ded, "I
feel so badly to think that my favorite maxim is now dead."

"Which?"

"When I was asked how one could best bring up children, I would always
answer, 'Let your married life be pure, for thus alone can you have
good, righteous children.' But it seems that even this is no longer the
case."

No one replied. Annette told us that she had just received a dispatch.
The tidings of victory were false, and the very reverse of the first
news was the true report, for the Prussians had penetrated into
Bohemia.

"Ah, how soon there will be more grieving mothers! If the woful cries
of all these mothers could be concentrated into one utterance, who is
there that could hear it, and still live?"

Thus lamented my wife. We sat in silence.

Richard entered, saying, "Mother is right; she looks far ahead." He
told us that Martella had shouted with joy when Rothfuss had told her
of Ernst's flight; she had praised his adroitness.

And Victor called out, "For shame! Uncle Ernst is a coward! For shame!
Uncle Ernst is a bad man!"

Martella raised the scythe and was about to hurl it at Victor, but
Rothfuss fortunately parried the stroke. Martella now wrestled with
Rothfuss, and called out to Victor, "You soldier's child! Keep quiet,
you soldier's child!" She seemed to use the words reproachfully.

Suddenly she exclaimed, "I know where Ernst is! I am going to
him--away, away from all of you!"

She started on a brisk run, but was caught in the arms of Richard, who
was just coming up.

When Richard told us all this, his voice seemed broken, and, for some
time, he stood with his eyes cast on the ground. Then he went on to
tell us that Martella had become quiet and gentle, and had willingly
consented to ride home again, when he told her that mother wanted to
see her; and that now she was down in the barn, and was sitting on the
clover, waiting until she was sent for.

Martella was called up to the house. When she entered the room, my wife
requested us to leave. I have never learned what passed between them.

I was quite surprised at what Rothfuss told me.

When Richard caught Martella in his arms, she cried out, "No, no; you
shall not kiss me!" and pushed him from her with such force, that he
would have been thrown to the ground if Rothfuss had not come to his
assistance.

Richard had told us nothing of that.

CHAPTER V.

When Edward Levi, the iron merchant, came to out village, he c