nacks, was packed into a bag and laid upon the shoulders of the
devoted Nat, who trudged out of the village late in the evening.

Ivo could hardly believe his eyes when, as the class were taking their
afternoon stroll, he saw Nat coming up the road. He ran to meet him,
and fell upon his neck. Many of the boys gathered round wondering.

"Bock," asked one, "is that your brother?"

Ivo nodded, unwilling to say that Nat was only a servant.

"What an old buck your father must be!" said another boy. The rest
laughed,--all except Clement Bauer, a boy from the principality of
Hohenlohe, who said, "For shame, you jealous daws! Why, a'n't you glad
his brother's come to see him?" He ran to the usher in command and
obtained permission for Ivo to go home with Nat alone. Ivo was
delighted beyond measure to meet with such a fine boy. The thought
awoke in his mind that perhaps Nat had helped him to a friend.

Hand in hand they turned toward the convent, Ivo talking and rejoicing
incessantly. When the things came to be unpacked, he shouted with
delight. He immediately laid up a reserve for the good Clement; but
when the other room-mates returned he shared his treasure with them
all. Nat had also brought a letter for Gregory, the tailor's son, which
Ivo immediately carried to him, and received an invitation to come to
him often and call upon him for aid and counsel.

In the evening he was allowed to go to the inn with Nat, where there
was no end of their chatting. When the bell rang for prayer, Nat
escorted him back to the convent. Ivo ascended the stairs as lightly as
if an unseen hand supported him. He was quite at home here now, since
all Nordstetten, in the person of its most acceptable envoy, had come
to see him. Besides, he now had both a friend and a patron, all owing
to dear good old Nat.

From this time forth Ivo's life was sustained by industry,
cheerfulness, and friendship. His mother hardly suffered a bird to pass
without charging it with something kind for her son. His chest was
never without some little delicacy, nor his heart without some secret
pleasure. A brighter light fell on all things around him, much of which
was owing to the encouraging influence of Clement. Still, the two did
not become intimate so quickly as might have been expected: an
extraordinary occurrence was necessary to bring this about. The other
boys, seeing that Ivo was in favor with Mr. Haible,--such was Gregory's
surname,--left him unmolested,