ressed up to him
and seized his hand.

The huntsman turned from them all, saying that he must speak to young
Weidmann, who had been one of the jury; the young man came up just
then, and Claus cried out to him, with a great flow of words, that he
must tell his father that all his troubles were wiped out, since every
one had heard what Herr Weidmann thought of him.

Young Weidmann went to Eric and congratulated him on having formed such
a pupil; others came also to offer congratulations and shake hands.
Eric begged young Weidmann to remember him to his father, and say that
he should soon pay the promised visit to Mattenheim.

Knopf stood in the midst of a group of people, begging them not to
spoil the boy with their praises; and, in his effort to keep others
back, he refrained from going himself to shake hands with Roland.

Sonnenkamp appeared, and all took off their hats to him respectfully.
Here was the man possessed of such incredible wealth, and he wore a
coat like other people, and had to stand on his own feet. Sonnenkamp
seemed a prodigy to them all. How was it possible for a man to possess
such wealth? But there were some knowing scoffers who declared that
Herr Sonnenkamp had overstated his property, and others, still more
knowing, who were willing to swear that he was even richer than he had
said, but they were hardly noticed. Sonnenkamp, greeting all around in
a most friendly manner, went to Claus to congratulate him, and then
called Roland aside. Roland stood before his father for the first since
he had learned his great wealth; his eyes fell; looking up to him
seemed like looking up to a high mountain, but Sonnenkamp laid his hand
kindly on his shoulder, and told him that he might drive home alone
with Eric, as he was himself obliged to remain in town to wait for a
telegram.

Roland begged Claus and his family most pressingly to ride home with
him; the huntsman refused, but Roland urged it so warmly that he at
last yielded, and entered the carriage with his wife, leaving the
children to walk. Roland took the released prisoner in triumph through
the town and villages; the wife was embarrassed at riding in such
state, but Claus himself looked round without constraint, only saying
several times:--

"All has gone on very well without me, and will do very well, when I am
across the ocean."

To Eric he expressed his determination of emigrating to America with
his family.