nnenkamp and the Professorin, the young
people playing graces in the lawn between the villa and the green
cottage.

Lina had induced Manna to be present, and she was there in a bright
summer suit. And Lina, together with the maid, had prevailed upon Manna
to wear a deep red velvet ribbon in her black hair, and that her rich
dark hair should be shown to the best advantage.

The young people formed a large circle, sending differently colored
hoops swiftly through the air, and catching them upon the pretty
sticks.

The Architect was present, too, having been invited at Manna's special
request. No one except herself and Lina knew why this had been done.

Roland had requested Eric to join in the play; at first he declined,
but Lina cried,--

"Whoever doesn't play wears a wig and is afraid of its being found
out."

He made one of the circle. Pranken gave him a sort of military salute
with his stick, as if it were a sword. They laughed merrily as they
sprang about on the lawn, and it was a delight to the eye to witness
Roland's, and, still more, Manna's graceful movements. When she looked
up and reached out an arm, with her lithe and ethereal form, it
appeared as if her eyes were fixed upon something else than the play;
as if she were in an ecstasy, and were expecting not a hoop, but some
heavenly vision. Pranken stood on her right, and Eric on her left;
Pranken threw so skilfully that she always caught the hoop from him,
while Eric sent it too high or too low, so that she was obliged to
stoop and pick it up from the ground. It almost seemed as if he did it
purposely, for in this movement Manna's grace was always displayed
afresh.

Roland and Lina made fun of his clumsy play.

Lina and Roland kept up a constant running fight; she struggled with
the boy as if she were a boy herself, and they tried to throw each
other down in the endeavor to catch a hoop tossed beyond the circle.
But Roland was not thrown down, and escaped from all her clutches as
smoothly as a weasel. The Architect smiled as he looked at Lina's
fawn-colored gaiter-boots. As Eric was leaping forward to catch a hoop
which Manna had thrown on one side, he fell his whole length on the
lawn.

Manna laughed outright.

As soon as Lina heard it she clapped her hands, exclaiming,--

"The princess is set free! Manna has, heretofore, been the princess who
couldn't laugh. Captain, you've broken the spell! What name shall we
give to the knight who has set ou