why he was not to say anything about it to Eric.

His father refused to tell him why, demanding unconditional obedience.

And so Roland had now a two-fold secret to keep, one from his father,
and the other from Eric. The youth's soul was distressed, and it found
an odd expression in the question he once put to Eric:--

"Do the negroes in their native land have nobles too?"

"There are no nobles in their own right," replied Eric; "individual men
belong to the nobility only when, and only so long, as others regard
them as such."

Eric had thought that Roland's zeal for the military school had
excluded all his former notions and speculations; but he now saw that
they were still active, and had become connected with odd associations,
which he could not explain to himself satisfactorily. But he took heed
to make no further inquiry.

During his furlough, the son of the Cabinetsraethin was very constant in
attendance upon the lessons given to Roland, and Sonnenkamp, having her
sanction, proposed that the young cadet should leave the school for a
time, and be instructed in company with Roland.

Roland was highly pleased with this plan, but Eric objected; and when
Sonnenkamp stated to him that he had formerly desired that Roland
should have a comrade who should receive instruction with him, Eric
found great difficulty in explaining to him that it was now
inexpedient; that the course of instruction he had undertaken with
Roland was adapted exclusively to him, and that now any comradeship,
and any reference to another's condition and progress, would be only a
disturbing element.

Eric, by this means, alienated not only Herr Sonnenkamp and the
Cabinetsraethin, but also for a time his pupil himself, who was out of
humor and refractory, after the cadet had returned to the capital.

CHAPTER VIII.

STEEL-TRAPS IN THE POETS' GARDEN.

Sonnenkamp prided himself in growing the best wines; but the
traditional account of the joyous celebration of the harvest-home is a
mere fable. In the morning the mists were hanging far and wide over the
valleys, and in the early evening they shut out the whole landscape.
The leaves had fallen from the trees, and the hoar frost glistened on
the bare twigs, when at last the grapes were gathered and pressed.

The Major would not allow it to be thought of for a moment, that they
should omit firing their salute; he took extreme satisfaction in