And, furthermore, I am equally certain, and so is
Frau von Walden, that neither she nor I, then or afterwards, mentioned
the subject to, or in the presence of, the children. I did not show her
the cup and saucer, as it would have been a pity to undo its careful
wrappings. All she knew about it will be told in due course.

We had delayed longer than we intended at the china manufactory, and in
consequence we were somewhat late at the meeting-place--Ulrichsthal. The
gentlemen had arrived there quite an hour before; so they had ordered
luncheon, or dinner rather, at the inn, and thoroughly explored
the ruins. But dinner discussed, and neither Frau von Walden nor I
objecting to pipes, our cavaliers were amiably willing to show us all
there was to be seen.

The ruins were those of an ancient monastery, one of the most ancient in
Germany, I believe. They covered a very large piece of ground, and had
they been in somewhat better preservation, they would have greatly
impressed us; as it was they were undoubtedly, even to the unlearned in
archaeological lore, very interesting. The position of the monastery had
been well and carefully chosen, for on one side it commanded a view of
surpassing beauty over the valley through which we had travelled from
Seeberg, while on the other arose still higher ground, richly wooded,
for the irrepressible forest here, as it were, broke out again.

"It is a most lovely spot!" I said with some enthusiasm, as we sat in
the shade of the ruined cloisters, the sunshine flecking the sward in
eccentric patches as it made its way through what had evidently been
richly-sculptured windows. "How one wishes it were possible to see it
as it must have been--how many?--three or four hundred years ago, I
suppose!"

Lutz grunted.

"What did you say, Lutz?" asked his mother.

"Nothing particular," he sighed. "I was only thinking of what I read in
the guide-book, that the monastery was destroyed--partly by lightning, I
believe, all the same--by order of the authorities, in consequence of
the really awful wickedness of the monks who inhabited it. So I am not
sure that it would have been a very nice place to visit at the time you
speak of, gracious lady, begging your pardon."

"What a pity!" I said, with a little shudder. "I do not like to think
of it. And I was going to say how beautiful it must be here in the
moonlight! But now that you have disenchanted me, Lutz, I should not
like it at all," and I arose a