alone together, he mentioned Ernst's name for
the first time, and informed me that the commander of his division had,
in the presence of the entire corps of officers, expressed his great
regret that his brother-in-law had deserted.

Ernst had brought pain and disgrace on us all; but there was still
another trouble in store for us.

A letter reached us from Johanna, in which she informed us in short,
hard sentences that her son Martin had died of the wound he had
received; and that her husband, who had been an invalid for many
months, could not long survive him. I told the Major of this, but kept
the news from the rest of the family.

On the day before the Major left us, we had received a letter from
Ludwig in America. He was delighted to know that the Diet had been
dissolved, and thought that he now saw the dawning of a great era for
our Fatherland. The Americans already spoke with great respect of
Germany, and of the power of Prussia and its leaders.

There was a bitter tone in the remarks of the Major when he said, "Ah,
yes; thus things seem to those who are far away, and get all their
information from newspaper reports. If I only knew how I could turn my
talents to use in the New World, I would ask for my discharge and
emigrate to America."

This man, who had never known anything of discord or dissension, was
now, like many others, torn by conflicting doubts.

The children had left; the house was quiet again, and winter
approached.

Martella seemed filled with new life, and was glad that she could be
alone with my wife again. When Annette wrote to us that she would spend
the whole or a part of the winter in the village, Martella said, "That
is well, too: she is so entertaining to mother."

CHAPTER X.

The Diet was again convoked; and I can hardly describe how hard I found
it to leave my home and resume the disagreeable and exhausting
occupations that now devolved on me.

In company with Joseph, I drove into town, on my way to the capital,
when Annette called to me from the warehouse of Edward Levi. Her
mourning attire invested her with an air of majestic gloom; but her
brilliant glance and her clear complexion prevented her black habit
from looking too sombre. She must have noticed that I was pleased with
this, for she said, "I am trying to recover my health, and avail myself
of the two greatest remedies; I have just left the ocean, and shall now
go into the woods.