necessary for me to work
for my bread."

"That is quite another thing," said the councilor in a friendly way,
while his wife cast a quick glance over Wilhelm's clothes,
unfashionable and rather worn, but scrupulously clean.

"One can see that this idealist neglects his outward appearance," her
good-natured glance, half-apologetic, half-compassionate, seemed to say.

Herr Ellrich changed the conversation to the management of the hotel;
discussing for a time the Margrave's wines, the south German cookery,
the Black Forest tourists, and a variety of other minor topics. He then
asked his daughter:

"Now, Loulou, have you made a programme for tomorrow yet? She is our
maitre de plaisir," he explained to Wilhelm.

"A frightfully difficult post," exclaimed Loulou. "Papa and mamma love
quiet; I like moving about, and I endeavor to harmonize the two."

Wilhelm thought that the opposing tasks would very soon be harmonized
if Loulou subordinated her inclinations to her parents' comfort; but he
kept his thoughts to himself.

"I vote that to-morrow morning we go for a little drive. As to the
afternoon, we can arrange that later. Perhaps Dr.---" She stopped
short, and her mother came to her help and completed the invitation.

"It would be very kind of you to join us."

"I am only afraid that I might be in the way."

"Oh, no; certainly not," said the mother and daughter together, and
Herr Ellrich nodded encouragingly.

Wilhelm felt that the invitation was meant cordially, and his fear of
obtruding himself overcome, he accepted.

Circumstances at the castle very greatly favored Wilhelm's intercourse
with the Ellrich's, or rather with Loulou. In this house on the summit
of the hill they met constantly in close companionship. Frau Ellrich
enjoyed nothing better than walking on the arm of this handsome young
man up and down the wooded slopes, as till now she had been obliged to
go without such escort. Herr Ellrich liked to take his holiday in a
different way from the ladies. If he felt obliged to take exercise he
would borrow the landlord's gun and dogs and shoot. At other times he
would lie down anywhere on a plaid on the grass, smoke a cigar, and
read foreign papers like the Times from beginning to end. The afternoon
was taken up by a nap, and in the evening he would be ready to hear an
account of how his family had spent the day--perhaps in a long carriage
excursion through the neighboring valleys.

Frau Ellrich was in t