ths offered, and followed the highroad,
fearing to miss his way: besides, he had more of the village to pass
through on this route than in going by the way of Muehringen. The
nearer home he came, the more his heart bounded within him. Sometimes
it all seemed too good to be true, and he dreaded some unforeseen
disaster, or even that the weight of his exultation would drag him
down: at such times he would sit down to recover his strength.

People were wrong in saying that it was but two hours' walk from
Haigerloch to Nordstetten. "The fox must have measured this road and
thrown in his tail," said Ivo, repeating the old German proverb: "it is
eight hours' walk at least."

Near the beech farm he saw his Brindle pulling a plough. Running up to
the ploughman, he asked how Brindle worked, and rejoiced to hear him
praised. The brute had forgotten him, however, and let his head droop
earthward under the yoke. Ivo was tempted to give him one of the
pretzels to eat, but was ashamed of showing his weakness to the
workman, and went on.

At the brick-yard he met Hansgeorge's Peter, the one-eyed, who shook
his hand sadly, and said, "Constantine came last night."

Welcomed on every side, Ivo passed on. Every thing warmed his
heart,--the things which moved, and those which moved not: every hedge,
every stack of wood, looked like a friend, and seemed to be telling a
good old story: when his father's house stood before him it trembled in
his eyes, for the tears were running down his cheeks.

[Illustration: Emmerence sat under the walnut-tree with the school
master's child on her lap.]

Emmerence sat under the walnut-tree with the school master's child on
her lap. Instead of coming to meet him, she ran into the house, crying,
"Ivo's come! Ivo's come!"

His mother left the wash-tub, rushed down the stairs, and, with her
hands but half dried on her apron, embraced her darling. His father,
Mag, and his brothers also came up in high glee; and his mother, with
her arms still round his neck, almost carried him into the house.

Emmerence now came up also, saying, "I knew you were coming to-day.
Constantine came yesterday. I saw him first, though,--didn't I, aunty?"
she added, turning to his mother.

Nat now made his appearance, and, with a hearty "God bless you," he
helped Ivo off with his shoes and brought him a pair of slippers.

After the vaulted chambers of the convent, the rooms of the farmhouse
seemed no larger and no higher tha