small talk--and he desires to feed her
soul with thoughts of nature and Fatherland. Fanaticism, in every one
of its thousand shapes, endeavors to force its own convictions on
others, and this is both good and evil at the same time.'

"She said something to me which I have worn as an amulet, and it is,
after all, but a simple maxim.

"When I complained to her that it was so difficult with me to fix the
proper relation towards others, she replied:

"'Child, you do not maintain the right distance between yourself and
others. With every one, even though it be a Rothfuss, you move into
most familiar contiguity.' Her words impressed me deeply, and were of
great help to me.

"She understood herself, and that made every one else feel on sure
ground. When one felt depressed or sad, without hardly knowing why, the
mere fact that you were suffering was enough to arouse her sympathy:
and that would always cure the pain.

"But what avails it to speak of separate disconnected traits. I might
as well try to give you an idea of a glorious symphony by singing a few
bars of one of its melodies. When with her I felt in a higher world."

Thus spoke Annette. She did not seem to notice that all were silent
while she was talking.

And then Bertha and Conny arose from their seats and covered her with
their caresses.

I could not move from the spot. I saw Richard rising, but he sat down
again at once.

Ludwig turned to him and said: "Her mind and her exterior correspond.
At first she does not impress one as wondrously beautiful; but, day by
day, she grows in loveliness."

This invocation of my wife had, for the time being, invested the
festival with a certain solemn impressiveness; but soon mirth burst all
bounds, and the young couple again became the centre of joy.

Rontheim was so happy that he drank fellowship with the Major, with
Ludwig, and with Richard. A blissful feeling of brotherly affection
seemed to unite all.

Rothfuss afforded us great amusement. He wore a bouquet in his hunter's
coat, and another, with a red ribbon streaming from it, in his hat.
"Colonel," he called out to Ludwig, "may I be permitted to say one
word?"

"Have you made up your mind what to wish for?"

"No; this is something else. All I wish is that you shall say 'Yes,'
and that will do."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen. You are Colonel of the negroes--of the blacks--and there are
people who say that negroes are not human beings. Now listen! What