she had not yet learned the German for rye
and oats and the rest, and it was of these that he chiefly talked. What
was the use of explaining to her in what way he had ploughed and manured
and sown certain fields, how they lay, how big they were, and what their
soil was, when she had not seen them? Did he imagine that she could keep
all these figures and details in her head? "I know nothing of farming,"
she said at last, "and shall understand your plans better when I have
seen the estate."

"_Natuerlich, natuerlich_," shouted Dellwig, his voice in strangest
contrast to hers, which was particularly sweet and gentle. "Here I have
a map--does the gracious Miss permit that I show it?"

The gracious Miss inclined her tired head, and he unrolled it and spread
it out on the table, pointing with his fat forefinger as he explained
the boundaries, and the divisions into forest, pasture, and arable.

"It seems to be nearly all forest," said Anna.

"Forest! The forest covers two-thirds of the estate. It is the only
forest on the entire promontory. Such care as I have bestowed on the
forest has seldom been seen. It is _grossartig--colossal_!" And he
lifted his hands the better to express his admiration, and was about to
go into lengthy raptures when the map rolled itself up again with loud
cracklings, and cut him short. He spread it out once more, and securing
its corners began to describe the effects of the various sorts of
artificial manure on the different crops, his cleverness in combining
them, and his latest triumphant discovery of the superlative mixture
that was to strike all Pomerania with awe.

"_Ja_," said Anna, balancing a paper-knife on one finger, and profoundly
bored. "Whose land is that next to mine?" she asked, pointing.

"The land on the north and west belongs to peasants," said Dellwig. "On
the east is the sea. On the south it is all Lohm. The gracious one
passed through the village of Lohm this afternoon."

"The village where the school is?"

"Quite correct. The pastor, Herr Manske, a worthy man, but, like all
pastors, taking ells when he is offered inches, serves both that church
and the little one in Kleinwalde village, of which the gracious Miss is
patroness. Herr von Lohm, who lives in the house standing back from the
road, and perhaps noticed by the gracious Miss, is Amtsvorsteher in both
villages."

"What is Amtsvorsteher?" asked Anna, languidly. She was leaning back in
her chair, idly balancing th