you had better examine the whole village, for we shall all have
had a share in it." He lived strictly within the law, however. He did
not want to be beloved: it was his boast that every one could say, "He
is severe, but just." He had no consideration either for rich or poor.

He was in the vigor of life, with a gray beard, aquiline nose, and
wondrously clear liquid blue eyes, of a piercing brilliancy.

He came up to me with a friendly air, that was quite unusual on his
part, and told me that Ernst had been with him that day.

Ernst had said nothing to me of this. Rautenkron declared that he did
not concern himself about other people, but that he was really sorry
that Ernst was about to throw himself away. Here was another young man
who was fit for heroic deeds, but was ruined in this good-for-nothing
age, and was about to sacrifice his life to a coquettish forest girl.
It was unpardonable that we should countenance him in this, and consent
to take a creature from out of the thicket into a house which had
always borne so honorable a name.

"Mark my words! She will be just like a young fox that is caught before
he has finished his growth,--he will never be perfectly tamed, but will
run away to his home when you least expect it, and be right in doing
so."

It is always galling to hear pure affection thus abused and
misconstrued.

I endeavored to change the subject, but Rautenkron affected not to hear
me, and indulged in the most violent language against the stranger.
Indeed, he prophesied that our thoughtless conduct would drag us into
misfortune, and called the miller to bear witness to what he thus told
me.

I abruptly refused to continue the subject, and now Rautenkron called
out to me, his eyes beaming with joy, "Enough. Let us speak of
something else. I have to-day done one of the prettiest deeds of my
life. Shall I tell you what? All right! You know Wollkopf the wood
dealer. He has such a mild, insinuating way about him, but always eyed
me as the usurer does a suspicious-looking pledge. He did not trust me.
'But,' thought I to myself, 'just wait! I will bide my time; he will
come yet.' And he has come at last, within shooting distance too. At
the last sale of wood in my district, he had bought a large lot of
logs, and then came up to me and said that he wanted to speak plain
German with me. Now listen to what the honored town-councillor--you
know that is his position--the acknowledged man of honor, calls plai