My mother-in-law has gone to Paris to join her
daughter, who is the wife of our minister. She has an idea that one
cannot exist, save in Paris. I shall come and see you; you and your
wife can do me much good, and I may perhaps be of some use to you. I
have never learned how to lead a life of repose. I shall now learn it;
in your house I shall find the best school, and your wife will have
patience with a sad, yet wayward pupil."

She bought an ingeniously constructed stove with all sorts of cooking
utensils belonging to it, and presented it to Carl's mother. Besides
this, she had bought all sorts of new furniture for herself, as she
intended to spend the winter at the village. She was so glad to see
Rothfuss again that she left her carriage and got into ours, so that he
might tell her of all that had happened during her absence. Her driver
had been instructed to take all her new purchases up to Joseph's house
and deliver them to her maid.

I went on towards the capital, and Annette towards the village.

On the way, Joseph told me that he had done very well by the war. The
South Germans, he told me, had been such violent partisans of Austria
because the greater portion of the proprietors in the neighborhood had
invested their money in Austrian securities.

Annette's brother had, however, in good season, called his attention to
the fact that a great change was taking place in financial affairs.
America had already successfully passed through a great war, and the
current of capital was now tending in the direction of the United
States, where its investment was both safe and profitable.

Joseph's object in visiting the city was to dispose of his American
bonds, which were then commanding a very high price.

It has always been, and will ever remain, a marvel to me how Joseph,
with all his real interest in public life, could at the same time
manage to reap a profit from the movements of capital.

I had the good fortune to travel in company with Baron Arven, who was a
member of the Upper Chamber, and was also on his way to the capital. He
seemed greatly depressed, and admitted that the realization of hopes
one could not help entertaining sometimes produced new and unforeseen
griefs.

Thus it had been, he said, with the separation of Austria from the rest
of Germany. It had long been recognized as necessary to the proper
development of our own political life, and as an advantage to Austria;
and yet, when it was brought