e?"

His mother could only shake her head in reply. She tried to speak, but she
had already gone beyond her strength, and she sank back upon her pillows.
Veronica, who had been standing by in silence, started forward.

"I will run for the doctor," she said, "stay with her, Dietrich;" and she
darted from the room. He hurried after her. "Let me go," he said, "it is
too late for you to be out, and you can take better care of her than I
can." He was off; and Veronica returned to the bed-side. He took the
shortest road; the one that passed the Rehbock. Loud shouts and cries were
sounding from the inn. He hurried by. Presently he heard his own name
called; some one came running after him, shouting:

"Wait, Dietrich, wait!" He turned round and saw Blasi, who had recognized
him as he passed the door, and rushed out after him. "Don't run away,
Dietrich! Welcome home! Where did you come from? Have you seen her? Don't
run away! Listen to me!" Dietrich stopped and shook hands with Blasi, and
again started forward. Blasi detained him.

"There's been something going on that you ought to know about," he
continued. "Don't think that I go to the Rehbock every evening, by any
means! I heard there was some strange news, and so I went there to-night
to hear it, and it was well worth while, I can tell you. The red fellow
is found out! The cattle-dealer accused him of having stolen his money
bag. The man denied it; there was a long investigation, and at last they
found out that and a great many other things against him. He turns out to
be a regular rascal. And when all this had been proved against him, he
turned round and accused another man, who, he said, was really at the
bottom of everything; but no one knows yet who it is. Don't run so fast; I
can't keep up with you. Now you're out of it all right, Dietrich; but I
suppose you know that they tried to make out that you took the money, and
that was why you ran away. But I never believed it; I never did, on my
honor. Do stand still; it's all right now, and you needn't run away any
more."

"I'm not going to run away, Blasi, and I thank you for bringing me this
good news. But it's not all right you know, on account of Marx."

"Marx!" cried Blasi, "what of Marx! it doesn't hurt a man to get a good
beating. Marx is as lively as you or I, and still drinks more than enough
to quench his thirst, when he can get it."

Dietrich stood still now, and drew a long breath. "Is that true, Blasi,
rea