od by the window, plucking dead leaves from the plants that were
placed there.

"Shall I call in our three children, so that you can ask them?" she
answered, in a harsh voice.

"Little children have no opinions as yet; but their parents ought to
think for them."

I asked old Blank whether he would be satisfied with my decision.

"Since you ask in that way, you are, of course, opposed to me, and for
that reason I say no."

I saw that I could be of no use, declared that I would not attempt to
decide, and left the family to settle their dispute among themselves.

When I left there, I was the more pleased to meet the Councillor
Reckingen, who lived in the town, and who had visited me shortly after
Ernst's flight. He had conquered his feeling of loneliness and grief at
the shocking death of his wife. He lived alone with his only daughter,
and had devoted all his time to her education. She was just budding
into womanhood.

This man, who had always seemed troubled and absentminded, now
approached me with a cheerful smile, and said that he had the good
fortune to be again permitted to enter on his calling; and that, as a
result, his child, who had been so constantly with him that he had
begun to be alarmed for her future, would now be obliged to accustom
herself to a life of self-reliance and activity; for the wife of the
Privy Councillor had already expressed her willingness to have his
daughter stay with her during the campaign.

We were standing by the stream, where the water rushes over the dam
with a mighty roar, and he said:

"You are like me; in great times all little troubles disappear, just as
the thundering of these falling waters drowns all other sounds."

I passed a delightful hour with the Councillor in his lovely garden,
which was carefully and tastefully kept. He had been very fortunate in
cultivating roses, and I was obliged to permit him to pluck a lovely
one for me from every bush.

"She loved roses, and cared for them above all things," were his words
while he handed me the nosegay.

According to promise, Ludwig returned, bringing Ikwarte with him. He
had written to Conny and Wolfgang to come to town. He told us that he
had caused his name, and also Wolfgang's and Ikwarte's, to be entered
with the Sanitary Corps. They wore the white band with the red cross on
their arms, and soon started in the direction of the Rhine to join the
main army.

Conny went home with me.