was the reply, for the lieutenant was considered
an accomplished officer. He made neat verses, was great in the
arrangement of _tableaux vivants_, and was said to have written a tale
in some annual or other. "Herr von Zernitz is a delightful companion."

"Yes," said Fink; "but he can not bear port wine. The second is young
Von Toennchen."

"An old family," observed the mistress of the house; "but is he not a
little--just a little--wild?" added she, modestly.

"By no means," said Fink; "though sometimes, perhaps, he makes other
people so."

"And the third?" inquired the lady.

"The third is a Mr. Wohlfart."

"Wohlfart!" returned she, somewhat perplexed; "I do not know the name."

"Very likely not," said Fink, coolly; "Mr. Wohlfart came here from the
country two or three years ago, to get an insight into the mysteries of
business; he is now in Schroeter's office, like myself."

"But, my dear Fink!" interposed the lady.

Fink was by no means taken aback. Comfortably reclining in his
arm-chair, he went on: "Mr. Wohlfart is a striking and interesting
person. There are some singular circumstances connected with him. I
think him the finest fellow I ever met with. He comes from Ostrau, and
calls himself the son of an accountant there, now dead. But there hangs
a mystery over him, of which he himself knows nothing."

"But, Herr von Fink," said the lady, anxious to be heard.

Fink looked intently at the cornice, and went on. "He is already the
possessor of certain lands in America. The title-deeds have passed
through my hands confidentially; but he must know nothing of it for the
present. I myself believe that he has every prospect of more than a
million some future day. Did you ever see the late archduke?"

"No," said the lady, with some curiosity.

"There are people," continued Fink, "who maintain that Anton is
strikingly like him. What I have said is a secret, however, of which my
friend knows nothing. One thing is certain, that the late emperor, on
the occasion of his last journey through the province, stopped at
Ostrau, and had a long conversation with the pastor there."

Now this last circumstance was true, and Anton had chanced to mention it
to Fink among other of his childish recollections. He had also stated
that the pastor in question had been an army-chaplain in the last war,
and that the emperor had asked him in what corps he had served.

Fink, however, did not think it necessary to descend to such mi