"Then Marietta will belong by right to Burgsdorf," said the mother,
seemingly not at all surprised at this news, which she took very kindly.
"No demurrers, child. The young Frau von Eschenhagen has nothing farther
to do with Waldhofen except to visit her grandfather. Or perhaps you are
afraid of the stern mother-in-law? Ah, I know you think he will protect
you," with a nod toward her son, "although he is not at home. He would
even declare war against his own mother if she didn't meet his little
wife with open arms."

"But she will always do that, I know it," exclaimed her son, with a
happy laugh. "When my mother once opens her heart, then everything she
does is right."

"Ah, now you can flatter," said Regine with a reproving glance. "You
will come to your future home at once, Marietta! As to the management of
affairs, you need not bother your head about that. I'll take care of
everything, for a little thing like you wouldn't know where to begin,
and candidly, I wouldn't allow any one to have a voice in the management
of Burgsdorf while I lived there. If I decide to live elsewhere that's
another matter; but I can see already that Will will want you to live
like a princess all your days. I can but pray that he'll return to us
whole and sound."

She threw her arms around her son and they embraced more warmly than
they had ever done in their lives before.

A quarter of an hour later, the head forester, coming in hastily to see
the old doctor, found the three in earnest conversation. He gave Regine
a look, to which she responded by saying:

"Well, Moritz, am I still the personification of obstinacy and
unreasonableness?" and she held out her hand to her brother-in-law. But
he did not take it. Her second refusal but the week before was still
fresh in his mind, and he turned to the others now, saying:

"So you're to be married at once, I hear? I met Dr. Volkmar and he told
me all about it, so I came over to offer our services to the bride, but
as Willibald's mother is here, there's little for me to do."

"Ah, your services will be heartily welcome, uncle," said Willibald
cordially.

"Well, well, I won't be sorry to see my nephew married," said the head
forester, kindly. "You've become a very romantic young man of late.
Toni's caught the fever, too, and nothing would do but that Walldorf and
she should be married at once; but I put my foot down on that. I said
the circumstances were quite different, and that I had