strange Roland from his family.

Pranken drove over with his sister, and Bella told Eric that Clodwig
sent a message, begging for his company during their absence. Eric
became thus aware, for the first time, that he had never been expected
to join the party; he immediately stifled the sensitive feelings
arising from this, as well as from some other occurrences. Roland alone
urged him pressingly to go with them, saying, unreservedly,--

"Manna will be very much vexed if you do not come; she ought to see you
too."

Sonnenkamp smiled oddly at this entreaty, and Pranken turned away to
conceal his features.

Roland took a most affectionate leave of Eric; it was the first time
that he was to be parted from him for hours and through the night: he
promised, meanwhile, to tell Manna much about him. Something unusual
must have been passing in the boy's mind, for just at the moment of
departure, he said to Eric,--

"You and the house, you don't go away from your place."

Eric pressed his hand warmly.

They drove to the steamboat in three carriages. Pranken with Frau
Ceres, Sonnenkamp with Fraeulein Perini and Bella, and, in the third
carriage, Roland and the servants.

They drove a short distance up the river to take the boat, and as they
afterwards shot quickly past the Villa, Eric was standing on the
beautiful, wooded hill, whence there was a view down the stream, where
the mountains seemed to meet to compel the river to spread out into a
lake. Roland waved his hat from the boat, and Eric answered the
greeting in the same way, saying to himself,--

"Farewell, boy dear to my heart."

Whoever understands the meaning of the fact that Eric could not send a
greeting into the distance, where it was inaudible, without speaking an
earnest word of love,--whoever understands this, has the key to the
depths of Eric's character.

The boat puffed by, the waves in its wake plashed for a while against
the shore, and tossed the pretty pleasure-boat up and down, then all
was still again. The steamboat shot down the stream, and the party on
board was very cheerful. Pranken occupied himself with special
attentions to Frau Ceres, who, wrapped in fine shawls, sat on the deck.

Roland had received permission to take Griffin with him. All on board
were struck by the handsome boy, and many expressed their admiration
aloud.

For a short distance the Wine-count and his son, the Wine-chevalier,
travelled with them. The old gentleman, a ta