remark that there was
nothing in the world so good for all sorts of excitement as a Rochelle
powder.

Fraeulein Milch, who saw very plainly that Eric had something to
communicate, was about to leave the room, but he called out,--

"You are to hear it too, you and my friend here. I entrust it to your
true hearts. I am betrothed."

"To Manna?" said Fraeulein Milch.

Eric looked amazed, and the Major cried:--

"God be thanked that she lives in our days; in the past dark ages they
would have burnt her for a witch. She knows everything, and sees into
the future; nobody could ever believe it. But here you have it. As we
were sitting together, she said: This very evening Eric and Manna have
been betrothed. And when I laughed, she said: Don't laugh, I'll go for
a bottle of wine. Look, comrade, there it stands; and she said: They
will come here this very evening together. Well, she isn't yet an
infallible prophetess, for you've come alone, comrade. Come here, let
me kiss you, my heart's brother."

He gave him a hearty kiss, and went on:--

"You have no father, and I,--I'll go with you to the altar when you're
married. Give me your hand. And people say, there are no miracles in
these days! Every single day there's a miracle wrought, just exactly as
much as in the good old times; only we know how to explain it to-day,
and in old times they didn't understand it."

Fraeulein Milch had uncorked the bottle and filled the glasses.

"Drink with me, my son!" cried the Major. "Drink! real Johannisberg."

They touched glasses, and the Major, emptying his, kissed Eric again,
and then said,--

"Whew! You've learned to kiss. Give one to Fraeulein Milch, too,--you've
my permission. Fraeulein Milch, no flinching! Come here--there--give her
a kiss. She's a friend,--you've not a better in the world except your
mother,--and you'll find out she's more than the whole world knows; you
deserve to."

"I beg, Herr Major," Fraeulein Milch interrupted with trepidation.

"Very well," said the Major, in a soothing tone, "I'll say nothing
more. But now a kiss."

Eric and Fraeulein Milch kissed each other, the Fraeulein's face turning
red as fire.

They now engaged in a friendly talk together, the Major taking special
delight that Pranken would not get the magnificent girl and her
millions; but his chief satisfaction arose from the convent's being
circumvented.

As Eric returned home, late at night, he heard the blackbird still
singing: