rica, and we have immigrated hither."

They had a pleasant time together, and Roland presented the stolen
watch which had been restored to him to Claus, as a lasting token of
remembrance. He was not willing to take it, not even when Eric and
Sevenpiper joined in the request.

"Just take it, father," finally said the cooper, and Claus yielded.

Sevenpiper led the talk to-day. He made fun of the field-guard for
being a great deal too uneasy; and for continually worrying how people
got to be so rich, which was wholly needless. A man might, indeed, be
empty, but one couldn't eat more than his fill, or do more than quench
his thirst; and the rich man couldn't get any more out of sleep than to
sleep sound, and sleeping sound didn't depend upon the bed in which one
slept, but it was just sleeping sound; and to ride in one's coach
was pure nonsense; it was much better to go upon one's own good
walking-sticks.

There was also some mention made of the dwarf, and Sevenpiper said,--

"Yes; if any one wants to visit the grave of this mannikin, he will
have to carry a ladder along with him."

"What for?" asked Roland.

"Because he will be hanged."

Claus did not like to have them talk of bad people.

Sevenpiper was a good representative of "blessed be nothing." He had
sent a child to his house, and just as some bottles of wine arrived
which Fraeulein Milch had sent, there was heard singing at the entrance
of the house. The whole organ was there with all its stops, and soon
Eric and Sevenpiper were singing too.

At last Eric insisted that they must be on their way home; and as they
were turning from the village path into the road, a carriage drove up,
from which signals were made, and the powerful voice of the Major
cried:--

"Battalion, halt!"

They halted; in the carriage with the Major were the mother and the
aunt.

"This is the only thing which I had yet to wish for," said Roland.
"Herr Major, Claus has been released; he is innocent."

The mother embraced her son after she had first embraced Roland. They
got out, and Eric walked to the villa arm-in-arm with his mother, who
held Roland by the hand on the other side. The Major politely offered
his arm to the aunt, but she declined, excusing herself by saying that
it was a peculiarity of hers never to take any one's arm.

"That's really the better way; Fraeulein Milch thinks so too. You'll get
acquainted with her; you'll be good friends with one another, you may
r