rived
there."

"Indeed! I had not heard of his death, and am somewhat surprised that
Herr Weidmann's nephew, who was at open war with Banfield, should not
have informed me of it. But it is astonishing what a strong resemblance
there is between yourself and him. Of course I shall not mention the
circumstance in my obituary of Banfield."

"As far as I myself am concerned," said Sonnenkamp, smiling, "it would
make no difference; but you know the delight which the European
aristocracy takes in any American scandal, and such a connection of
names might to my wife and children be--well, might be very
disagreeable."

Crutius protested that all personalities were wholly indifferent to
him; he dealt only with principles, a sentiment which Sonnenkamp
entirely approved and considered one of the advantages of European
culture.

Crutius accompanied Herr Sonnenkamp with great politeness, through the
outer offices as far as the head of the staircase; but the air of the
room seemed to oppress him when he returned to it, and he threw open
the windows.

"It is he, nevertheless," he said to himself. "Take care. Knight of the
Cross of Honor, I have hold of you by another ribbon, and am only
granting you a little longer time to flutter about me."

He hunted up the paper that contained the notice, made a broad red mark
and three exclamation marks on the margin, and laid the sheet by in a
special compartment labelled, "For future use."

CHAPTER XI.

A NEW LIFE IN EVERYTHING.

The Prince must have forgotten that he had meant to send for
Sonnenkamp, who now found himself deprived of all opportunity of
expressing his thanks in person to him or to his brother, by their
departure, in company with many nobles of the court, and Pranken among
them, for a royal hunting-seat where the great Spring hunts were to be
held. Pranken had left the capital in great ill-humor at Herr
Sonnenkamp's having been guilty of the impropriety of entering into any
relations with the editor of a newspaper.

All was quiet in the Hotel Victoria. Eric's mother and aunt had already
returned to the green cottage, and Roland begged and entreated every
day that the whole family might break up their establishment in the
Capital. At last his wish was granted, and Sonnenkamp favored his
house, his servants, the park and the hot-houses, with a sight of the
glory of his button-hole. This decoration he brought