e master of
the house from the window, to which he also had hastened.

'Has my sister come with you?' asked the anxious Katharine, running to
the door. The children had already let down the steps of the carriage,
and madam Rosen with her daughter hastened to meet their expectant
friends. The cloaks and wrappers soon fell off, and mother and
daughters were clasped in a mutual embrace.

'Happily redeemed from the prison of the hateful Holofernes?' asked
Fessel, affectionately greeting his mother-in-law.

'After great trouble and anxiety,' answered the widow, drawing a long
breath, whilst the attentive Katharine was busily relieving her of her
superfluous traveling garments.

'Had you not sent us so bold a knight,' said Faith playfully; 'to
rescue us from the terrible giant, we should have been at this moment
sitting in Sagan, listening to the insupportable boastings of the
monster.'

'Where is the valiant knight, that I may thank him for his good
service?' asked Katharine.

At that moment Dorn entered the room, leading the young Engelmann by
the hand, and surrounded by the four children of the house.

'How! Do you bring the boy, also?' asked the astonished master, warmly
embracing his book-keeper.

'He has permission to remain and pursue his studies here,' answered
Dorn. 'Here is the Duke's consent in his own hand-writing.'

'You must understand the black art,' cried the overjoyed Fessel. 'I
should sooner have expected to remove the everlasting hills from their
foundations than to move the Friedlander from his purpose.'

'I could not, however, save your property,' said Dorn. 'The houses
already lay in ruins, and all applications for indemnification are
rejected by the ducal court.'

'I am sorry to lose the capital,' said Fessel; for I had already built
a fine speculation upon it; but you have saved my dear friends, and so
in God's name let the guilders go. Now seat yourselves and relate to me
circumstantially how this eighth wonder of the world has been
accomplished.'

They placed themselves at table. Dorn obtained a seat near the charming
Faith; and, as among a swarm of bees, narrations and corrections,
questions and answers, praise and astonishment, fear, anger and
laughter, so buzzed about the table that the business of eating was
scarcely thought of.

'Thank God we are finally here!' remarked madam Rosen, reaching her
goblet of Hungary wine to the book-keeper, for the purpose of touching
his glass. '