eter
must make when he takes the estate. The money I have promised I will
pay down the day before the wedding. The five acres of forest which I
have bought, which border on your land, and are properly no part of my
farm, I now give to Thoma to be hers in her own right. You have no one
but your son, so there is nothing more to be said. Of course, you will
not marry again?"

The miller smiled sadly, and said at length:

"Then give your hands to one another in God's name, and may happiness
and blessing be yours for all time."

The lovers clasped each other's hands firmly, and so did the fathers
and mother.

The betrothed drank from the same glass; and it was a good omen that
Thoma did not take from his hand the glass, which Anton held out to
her, but drank whilst he held it.

Landolin might have spoken, but he remained silent. It is not necessary
for him to speak. Is he not Landolin? He even looked suspiciously at
the miller. He did not esteem him highly, for every one praised his
good nature, and Landolin was inclined to consider good nature as one
kind of rascality.

"Father-in-law," said Anton, "whenever you come to our house you will
find joy there, for as surely as our brook will never flow up the
mountain side, so surely will Thoma's thoughts never turn toward her
old home in discontent."

Landolin opened his eyes at this speech; but his only answer was a tap
on the shoulder. The miller said, with a trembling voice:

"Yes, yes; 'twill be beautiful to have a young woman in our house once
more."

"Thoma will hold you in all honor," said the farmer's wife. "She honors
her parents, and that makes sound housewives."

Landolin shrugged his shoulders slightly, when the miller continued:

"I'm very sure, Landolin, that your daughter is not so hot-tempered as
you and your side of the house have always been."

Landolin smiled, well pleased that people should think him
hot-tempered, for this made them fear and respect him.

CHAPTER X.

As Landolin still remained silent, the miller felt called upon to
speak.

"I can well understand that it must be hard for you to let your
daughter leave your house; we found it so when our only daughter was
married. My wife--it is from her that Anton gets his ready speech--said
that when the daughter who sang as she went up and down the stairs is
gone, then it seems that all the cheerfulness of the house has flown
away like a bird."

A