more forgotten and remembered the stranger's quality.

Otto returned to his rock promontory; but his humour had in the meantime
changed. The sun now shone more fairly on the pool; and over its brown,
welling surface, the blue of heaven and the golden green of the spring
foliage danced in fleeting arabesque. The eddies laughed and brightened
with essential colour. And the beauty of the dell began to rankle in the
Prince's mind; it was so near to his own borders, yet without. He had
never had much of the joy of possessorship in any of the thousand and one
beautiful and curious things that were his; and now he was conscious of
envy for what was another's. It was, indeed, a smiling, dilettante sort
of envy; but yet there it was: the passion of Ahab for the vineyard, done
in little; and he was relieved when Mr. Killian appeared upon the scene.

'I hope, sir, that you have slept well under my plain roof,' said the old
farmer.

'I am admiring this sweet spot that you are privileged to dwell in,'
replied Otto, evading the inquiry.

'It is rustic,' returned Mr. Gottesheim, looking around him with
complacency, 'a very rustic corner; and some of the land to the west is
most excellent fat land, excellent deep soil. You should see my wheat in
the ten-acre field. There is not a farm in Grunewald, no, nor many in
Gerolstein, to match the River Farm. Some sixty--I keep thinking when I
sow--some sixty, and some seventy, and some an hundredfold; and my own
place, six score! But that, sir, is partly the farming.'

'And the stream has fish?' asked Otto.

'A fish-pond,' said the farmer. 'Ay, it is a pleasant bit. It is
pleasant even here, if one had time, with the brook drumming in that
black pool, and the green things hanging all about the rocks, and, dear
heart, to see the very pebbles! all turned to gold and precious stones!
But you have come to that time of life, sir, when, if you will excuse me,
you must look to have the rheumatism set in. Thirty to forty is, as one
may say, their seed-time. And this is a damp cold corner for the early
morning and an empty stomach. If I might humbly advise you, sir, I would
be moving.'

'With all my heart,' said Otto gravely. 'And so you have lived your life
here?' he added, as they turned to go.

'Here I was born,' replied the farmer, 'and here I wish I could say I was
to die. But fortune, sir, fortune turns the wheel. They say she is
blind, but we will hope she only sees a li