imself. I don't see why that shouldn't do as well, anyhow."

"What do you mean to be?" asked Ivo, who was blushing up to the eyes at
this ungodly speech.

"Just a Nordstetten farmer, and nothing more."

"To say the truth, I should like that best myself; but it is not to
be."

"I'm going to make it be if you'll just wait a little," said
Constantine.

Many of the college-men received visits from their parents, who were
generally peasants and came in their ordinary costume, sometimes but
meanly clad. It pained Ivo to see that the students were generally
ashamed of their parents and disliked going out with them. When his
mother came, he walked hand in hand with her through the town and never
left her all day.

One February morning Constantine came to Ivo's room, which still wore
the appellation of "Zion" conferred upon it in more religious times.
Taking from his pocket a bunch of artificial flowers tied with red
ribbons, he said, "This is what Hannah of the Hauffer has sent me. I am
a recruit: I should have come out this year, but have drawn a clear
ticket. And now, hurrah! I'm going out of the convent."

"How so?"

"Why, you lambkin pure as snow once followed to the pasture, I'll tell
you how so; but, on your drinking-oath, you must swear to let nobody
know it. If I were to leave of my own accord, I should have to pay my
board and lodging and be a soldier: now I am free from the latter, and,
if I manage to get myself expelled from this Wallachian hostelry, I
shall have nothing to pay; as for the principal, I've an extra plum or
two for him."

He stuck the red-ribbon bunch into his hat and walked swaggeringly
across the convent-yard. He did not return all day, but occupied
himself with the other students who had been drawn as recruits that
year in walking arm in arm across the market-place with them, and
singing, drinking, and shouting everywhere. Late at night he came home,
and was immediately summoned into the awful presence of the principal.

That august personage was alone. Constantine remained near the door,
holding the latch behind him with both his hands. The principal stepped
toward him with a volley of denunciations. Constantine laughed,
stumbled forward, and trod so heavily on the principal's toes that he
screamed with pain and intensified his epithets; but Constantine
continued to advance upon him, and backed him round the room without
mercy. The poor principal seized the only chair in the room and