gentleman is to buy the farm, I suppose there would naturally be an
end."

"To be sure," said Mr. Gottesheim, with a strong accent of conviction.

But Ottilia was much braver. "There now!" she cried in triumph. "What
did I tell you? I told you I was fighting your battles. Now you see!
Think shame of your suspicious temper! You should go down upon your
bended knees both to that gentleman and me."

CHAPTER IV

IN WHICH THE PRINCE COLLECTS OPINIONS BY THE WAY

A little before noon, Otto, by a triumph of manoeuvring, effected his
escape. He was quit in this way of the ponderous gratitude of Mr.
Killian, and of the confidential gratitude of poor Ottilia; but of Fritz
he was not quit so readily. That young politician, brimming with
mysterious glances, offered to lend his convoy as far as to the
high-road; and Otto, in fear of some residuary jealousy, and for the
girl's sake, had not the courage to gainsay him; but he regarded his
companion with uneasy glances, and devoutly wished the business at an
end. For some time Fritz walked by the mare in silence; and they had
already traversed more than half the proposed distance when, with
something of a blush, he looked up and opened fire.

"Are you not," he asked, "what they call a socialist?"

"Why, no," returned Otto, "not precisely what they call so. Why do you
ask?"

"I will tell you why," said the young man. "I saw from the first that
you were a red progressional, and nothing but the fear of old Killian
kept you back. And there, sir, you were right: old men are always
cowards. But nowadays, you see, there are so many groups: you can never
tell how far the likeliest kind of man may be prepared to go; and I was
never sure you were one of the strong thinkers, till you hinted about
women and free love."

"Indeed," cried Otto, "I never said a word of such a thing."

"Not you!" cried Fritz. "Never a word to compromise! You was sowing
seed: ground-bait, our president calls it. But it's hard to deceive me,
for I know all the agitators and their ways, and all the doctrines; and
between you and me," lowering his voice, "I am myself affiliated. O yes,
I am a secret society man, and here is my medal." And drawing out a
green ribbon that he wore about his neck, he held up, for Otto's
inspection, a pewter medal bearing the imprint of a Phoenix and the
legend _Libertas_. "And so now you see you may trust me," added Fritz.
"I am none of your alehouse talkers; I am a convinc