dness.

The husband, the wife, and the daughters welcomed the new-comers most
cordially, and the wife handed my daughter-in-law a bouquet of roses.

Their son was also present. He had become a lieutenant, and his
countenance seemed to combine the clear, bright expression of the
mother, with the sternness of the father.

Julius and Martha were standing a little way off, beside a blooming
rose-bush, and when I said to Ludwig, "Behold your future niece," they
were both so suffused with blushes, that they resembled the roses. My
daughter-in-law embraced Martha, and was afterward embraced by the
Privy Councillor's wife.

Ludwig urged our departure for home, and the charming woman thanked us
heartily for the short visit we had paid her. In the meantime, Rontheim
had opened a bottle of wine and filled our glasses.

Our glasses clinked; we emptied them, and started on our way; and
Rothfuss said, "The Privy Councillor did the right thing in pouring out
some wine; eating and drinking is the best half of nourishment." Ludwig
laughed heartily.

Ludwig held me by the hand while we drove along the valley road.

"The houses have been rebuilt," he said, pointing towards the right
bank of the stream. It was there that, during the uprising of 1848, he
had been in command, and where the houses had been burned to the
ground.

"We have him in a sack; if we could only keep him there for ourselves
for a couple of weeks," called out Rothfuss.

My grandson did not understand him, and I was obliged to explain how
Rothfuss always managed to catch my very thought.

I had wished to be able to have Ludwig's society for myself, and to
give no one a part of him, except of course his brothers and sisters.
From a few remarks of Ludwig's, I gathered that he was aware of my
thoughts, and the first thing he said to me was a text for all that
followed.

"I have not forgotten mother's saying, and it has often been a guide
for me: 'We have part in the world, and the world ought to have part in
us.'"

It seemed to me that Rothfuss was laughing to himself. I had been
mistaken, however, for Wolfgang, who was seated on the box with
Rothfuss, now called out, "Father, Rothfuss is crying!"

"Is there anything that such an American wouldn't notice?" replied
Rothfuss, sitting upright on the box, and cracking his whip with all
his might.

"And so the new road through the valley is finished," said Ludwig; "I
suppose Antonin built that. It would have b