pposed you would have made Roland more worthy of confidence;
in spite of his promise, he has not come home."

Eric was tempted to answer that it was the father, not he, who on this
very first evening, when the boy was hardly out of the carriage, had
given him permission to go his own way. He restrained himself, however;
any discussion would be useless.

"I cannot go to bed till he comes," complained Frau Ceres.

"Have you any idea where we can look for him?" asked Sonnenkamp of
Eric.

"It is not necessary, for here he is," returned Eric.

Roland entered.

His mother began to complain and his father to scold, because he had
not kept his word.

"I deserve neither complaints nor reproaches," said Roland. "I had
great difficulty in getting away from the company at the door of the
restaurant whither I accompanied them, but would not go in."

All was made smooth again, and they went to bed.

"Why do you not ask me how I enjoyed the theatre?" asked Roland when he
had entered his room.

"I preferred waiting for you to tell me."

"It was very fine; there were beautiful girls, and Cuno knew them all
by name, and had some story to tell of every one; stupid stories they
mostly were. For hours we had nothing but leaping and bending this way
and that, without a word being spoken. Suddenly, I began to wonder what
Benjamin Franklin would say if he could see it, and that spoiled all my
pleasure. Cuno called me a snob, and I let it pass quietly, but he
added something else which came near causing a duel."

"May I know what it was he added?"

"No; it was about you, but--of course you would not care for it. You
are not anxious that every one should understand you, and whatever the
world may say----"

"Say no more, dear Roland, I beg; I don't care to know what people say
about me; it only burdens the mind without helping us to be better. But
you have borne yourself well, and may sleep with an easy conscience.
This has been your first experience under fire, and will not be your
last. Only keep true to yourself and to me. Good-night."

Eric lay down with happy thoughts, and with happy thoughts Roland fell
asleep.

CHAPTER III.

THE GREAT WORLD IN THE LITTLE CAPITAL.

While Sonnenkamp, the next morning, was looking through the court
calendar and making a list of the visits that were first to be paid,
Eric, also, was arranging his programme. He determined to free his