e himself for weariness two
weeks before the rye harvest. Ha! ha! ha! And tally-ho!"

He shook Edwin cordially by the hand, and the procession again moved
on.

The little doctor now allowed the litter and the melancholy couple that
brought up the rear to preceed him, and pausing watched the procession
for a time; then with a cunning twinkle in his eyes dismounted. "I'll
overtake them," he said joining Edwin, and allowing his docile animal
to crop the fresh grasses along the edge of the path. "I'm very glad to
have met you here, Herr Doctor; I've something to communicate which
it's unnecessary for other ears to hear, and here we're quite alone. I
see by the direction you were taking, that you're not in a hurry. If it
suits your pleasure, we'll stroll comfortably along the road; I'll not
detain you long from pursuing your fancy for untrodden paths."

"As you please," replied Edwin dryly, making no attempt to conceal how
little he desired the companionship forced upon him.

But the little doctor pretended not to notice his reluctance. He was
silent for a time and seemed to be considering how most skillfully to
begin his disclosures.

"Honored Herr Doctor," he said at last, "or perhaps in memory of your
father, I may be permitted to say my dear friend; pardon me if I speak
to you of a perhaps extremely uninteresting person--my own
insignificant self. You should know--and in spite of our recent
acquaintance, have doubtless already noticed--that the foundation of my
character is frankness and honesty. Clever men soon learn that it's not
worth their while to play a part; _le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle_.
But unfortunately in the universal masquerade people perform together,
it's difficult for the very persons who go unmasked to make others
believe that they show their own countenances. 'Take off your nose,
Herr Doctor!'--'But, Madame, I assure you it grows on my face'--'Who
will believe that? You're much too cunning a fox, when your profession
compels you to thrust your nose into everything, to use your own for
the purpose.' This is what we're told, my honored friend, and no matter
how much it nettles the real nose to be taken for _papier mache_,
nobody pities it. People compassionate only the simple, and God knows
they don't need it for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

He sighed and took from a small gold box, which looked as if it might
be a present from the late countess, a pinch of snuff, as if he wanted
to conso