ensates them for all the
afflictions and miseries of this life. Without religion, human society
would fall to pieces."

A servant entered, and announced dinner.

"Ah Richard!" said Herr Frank good-humoredly. "Half an hour late for
dinner, and had to be called! That is strange; I do not remember such a
thing to have happened before. You are always as punctual as a
repeater."

"I was in the mountain and had just returned."

"No excuse, my son. I am glad the neighborhood diverts you, and that
you depart a little from your regularity. Now everything is in good
order, as I desired, for my friend and deliverer. I have just received
a letter from him. He will be here in two days. I shall be glad to see
the good man again. If Frankenhoehe will only please him for a long
time!"

"I have no doubt of that," said Richard. "The doctor will be received
like a friend, treated like a king, and will live here like Adam and
Eve in paradise."

"Everything will go on as formerly. I will be coming and going on
account of business. You will, of course, remain uninterruptedly at
Frankenhoehe. You are high in the doctor's esteem. You interest him very
much. It is true you annoy him sometimes with your unlearned objections
and bold assertions. But I have observed that even vexation, when it
comes from you, is not disagreeable to him."

"But the poor should not annoy him with their sick," said Richard. "He
never denies his services to the poor, as he never grants them to the
rich. Indeed, I have sometimes observed that he tears himself from his
books with the greatest reluctance, and it is not without an effort
that he does it."

"But we cannot change it," said Herr Frank; "we cannot send the poor
away without deeply offending Klingenberg. But I esteem him the more
for his generosity."

After dinner the father and son went into the garden and talked of
various matters; suddenly Richard stopped and pointing over to
Salingen, said,

"I passed to-day that neat building that stands near the road. Who
lives there?"

"There lives the noble and lordly Herr Siegwart," said Herr Frank
derisively.

His tone surprised Richard. He was not accustomed to hear his father
speak thus.

"Is Siegwart a noble?"

"Not in the strict sense. But he is the ruler of Salingen. He rules in
that town, as absolutely as princes formerly did in their kingdoms."

"What is the cause of his influence?"

"His wealth, in the first place; secondly, his char