lly true? You wouldn't say it if it were not true? She wrote me that
there was nothing to fear; but I didn't understand it. And I can't quite
understand now, Jost wrote me that Marx was dead, and that I had better go
away as far as I possibly could, because they were searching for me, high
and low. I can't make it out. But I must go now for the doctor. Come and
see me to-morrow, Blasi; and we will have a good talk. Now good-night."

Dietrich shook his old comrade by the hand and ran off. But Blasi could
not so easily smother all the wonderful things he had to tell, and he
called out at the top of his lungs,

"You don't know much of anything yet! I spend the whole day at your house;
it's you that will have to come to me. I am working at your trade; you
ought to see! there's many a fellow that would be glad to do as well as I
do!"

But Dietrich had disappeared. It was past midnight, before he reached the
doctor's house, and he knocked a good many times in vain. At last a maid
came down and opened the door, saying as she did so,

"What a plague it is, that everything always comes at once! He has been
called out once to-night, and has hardly got to bed again. It never rains
but it pours!"

"I hope he will be so good as to come now;" said Dietrich, "it is very
important or I would not ask him."

The maid knocked at the chamber door. It was some time before the doctor's
voice answered from within, "Who's there?"

"Dietrich from Tannenegg," said the servant.

"He back again? No, I'm too old and too tired for that. They ought to give
him a good beating if they can catch him; it would serve him right."

Dietrich stepped up to the door himself.

"It is not for me, doctor," said he humbly, "it is for my mother; she is
very ill indeed. For God's sake, doctor, come and help her!"

"That's another thing altogether; she is a brave woman, who has been doing
your work for you," said the voice from within the room. Pretty soon the
doctor came out, and when Dietrich described his mother's condition, he
took some medicines with him and started out.

"I have no horse to use to-night; mine has done a hard day's work and must
have his rest. We shall have to go up the hill afoot."

As they crossed the open space in front of the house, he continued,

"I remember once how on this very spot once a little boy stood up in front
of me, and when I asked him if he would like some day to take care of a
horse, answered, 'No, I want a hors