heavy heart. He had often in the
commercial town heard intelligent and philanthropic people discuss the
question of the slave-trade, and offer all manner of palliations for
it. Roland must feel to the full the anguish of having to work out the
solution of this problem as best he could. With a vehemence altogether
unusual, Weidmann expressed his indignation that any one should ever
justify the trading in human beings endowed with speech and reason, as
if they were inanimate things.

It was, however, impossible to brood long over any one thought amid the
far-reaching and many-sided activity of the place. Moreover, the
laying-out of a new village upon the lately-purchased domain afforded
manifold occupation.

Weidmann particularly enjoyed the carrying out of this plan. He
admonished the younger men that it was a misfortune not to have arable
land connected with a vineyard, not only because crops sometimes fail,
but because the smaller vine-dresser, who must sell in the autumn, is
underpaid for his petty crop. A peasant who has wheat or potatoes to
sell receives the same fixed price for a given amount of produce as
others do whose crops are large; but it was not so with grape-culture.

Knopf was very urgent that the village should not be one of those
tiresome colonial settlements built exactly in a straight line: and the
architect consoled him by pointing out that the meandering brook, and
the church upon the hill hard by, gave an effect of grouping by no
means geometrical.

Knopf won Roland over to his plan of building a music-hall forthwith.

So there was perpetual interest and variety about the life at
Mattenheim.

When they came home from the fields, the manufactories, the mines, or
the domain, they could see it at once in Frau Weidmann's face, if she
had had a letter from America.

Doctor Fritz wrote often; but their greatest pleasure was when Lilian
wrote also.

Roland's interest in Lilian was stimulated and enhanced in two ways.
Prince Valerian liked particularly to congratulate Roland on cherishing
an early love without losing his manly energies. Knopf had a poet's
deep delight in being the secret confidant of so romantic a love.

CHAPTER X.

THE LOST ORGAN-TONES.

Mattenheim was the seat of a hearty Rhenish hospitality. There were
almost always visitors in the house. The Banker came, and was rejoiced
to find Roland so busy and cheerful.