peared again; and her goat cries terribly, for it has had no
fodder. The poor animal----"

"What do I care for the goat! I don't know how it is--either everybody
is crazy or I am crazy myself. Is this my forest? Are those my fields?
To whom do these horses and this wagon belong? Say, am I crazy?"

"If you go on in this way, you'll make both me and yourself so. For
God's sake, don't torment us both! What do you want with Cushion-Kate
just now?"

His wife had scarcely uttered these words, when Cushion-Kate rushed out
of the forest, and grasped the horse's reins.

"Let go!" cried Peter. "Let go! or I'll drive over you."

"Hold still!" said Landolin. "Kate! I mean well by you."

"But I don't mean well by you. They didn't cut off your head. They
didn't hang you. You shall hang yourself. There is your forest, with
thousands and thousands of trees. They all wait for you to hang
yourself on them."

"Oh, Kate! come here to me," besought his wife. But Kate continued to
pour terrible execrations.

"Give her a cut with the whip," cried Landolin; "give it to me; I'll
strike her."

"No, father, I'll fix it," said Peter; and springing down quickly, he
pushed Kate to one side; then, mounting again, he drove rapidly up the
hill.

Landolin's wife looked back, and drawing a long breath, said: "Thank
God! she has sat down on those stones. Some one has come up the hill,
and is speaking to her."

CHAPTER XL.

When they reached home, Peter cracked his whip loudly, and drove
through the open gate to the house. A strange servant brought a chair;
Peter helped his mother out, then turned to assist his father, who
said:

"Never mind! I'm still able----"

He stood again on his own ground. No sound of welcome was heard, save
the barking of the chained dog.

The bright moon lit up the square yard, which was neatly paved, and
entirely changed in appearance.

"Who made these changes?" asked Landolin.

"Thoma had them made," replied her mother.

Landolin understood it. She desired for her own sake, and perhaps for
his, that the place where the murder was committed should be no longer
recognizable.

"Again I say, God keep you, and I bid you most heartily welcome," said
his wife, in a tone full of emotion. "May the years that are still
granted to you pass in peace!"

"There, there, that will do," responded Landolin. He went to the dog
and unfastened his chain. The dog leaped up against his