ed.

Just as she had finished reading this, there was another knock, and the
Major entered.

When the mother saw him, at first she was frightened, not recognizing
him, as she looked at the red face, the short, white hair, and the
decoration on his breast. For a moment it seemed to her that he was
some messenger of justice, who had come to execute some commission or
other, she knew not what, that endangered Eric's welfare.

The Major did not mend matters at all, when he said,--

"Frau Professorin, I come to execute a warrant of ejection; but I am
not indeed to drive you out of Paradise, but to shut you up in the
Garden of Eden."

He had been making up this pretty speech during the whole journey, and
he had said it over inaudibly to himself certainly a hundred times: and
now it came out so clumsily, that the good lady trembled so that she
could not rise.

The Major cried:--

"Don't get up; everybody knows that there's no ceremony at all to be
made with me. I don't desire to incommode any one; I greatly prefer
that people would sit when I enter. Isn't it the same with you? One
feels sure in this case that he doesn't make any disturbance."

"Have you come from my son?"

"Yes, from him too. Observe, I'm not one of the best people in the
world, neither am I one of the worst; but there's one thing I can say
to my credit, that I have never in all my life envied anybody but you,
and you I did envy when you said, 'my son;' that I did envy you for.
Why can't I say this too? If I only had such a son as you have!"

Now there was tranquillity at last. The Major delivered a letter from
Sonnenkamp and the Cabinetsraethin, and desired that the letters should
be read immediately, as they would render it unnecessary for him to say
anything.

The Professorin read, and the Major watched her countenance while she
was reading, with peculiar marks of quiet satisfaction.

The Professorin bade him welcome, and called her sister-in-law, who
came in.

The blinds were opened, and the instreaming light shone upon cheerful
faces.

"What shall we decide upon doing?" asked Aunt Claudine.

"There is no longer any question of deciding; we accept the hearty
invitation."

"Which?"

"Of course Herr Sonnenkamp's."

"That's right," said the Major with a broad smile. "Will you allow me
to light a cigar? Did your husband, now gone to his eternal home, smoke
too?"

"Yes, indeed."

Aunt Claudine had quickly lighted a match, and held i