door,--

"This way, my men."

A deputation of boatmen entered, headed by Sevenpiper, and he begged
Sonnenkamp to be so kind as to allow them to present to him a tribute
of their grateful respect. With eyes cast down, and as if weighed down
by the burden of honor heaped upon him, amidst the boatmen dressed in
their light-colored clothes, Sonnenkamp went down the steps into the
park.

Here a beautiful scene presented itself to his view. The boatmen were
standing in the boats illuminated by differently colored lights, and
singing in chorus a song which sounded on the distant air. Sonnenkamp
stood there with folded hands, looking straight before him; and then he
separated his hands, and rubbed the ring on the thumb of his right
hand, which pained him. The song ended, and a cheer was called for in
honor of the great benefactor. The cannons roared, and the reports were
echoed and re-echoed from the mountains, so that it was proclaimed
through the land as with a voice of thunder up the river and down.

Sonnenkamp returned his thanks in a brief but hearty speech; Roland
stood at his right hand and Manna at his left. He placed his right hand
upon the shoulder of his son, by this means hiding the thumb, and with
the other hand he took Manna's; he concluded with the request that the
good neighbors would be pleased to extend their kindness also to his
children.

A lad, who was standing at the helm, wearing the clothes which Roland
had sent him on his birthday, now called for a cheer for Roland; again
the cannons fired. Roland said to the Major: I cannot make a speech. He
went down, and got on board the boat and shook hands with the men; and
he now perceived, for the first time, that Eric was on the boat. He sat
behind the others and had assisted them in singing; the school-teacher,
Fassbender, was sitting with him.

They all now came on shore. The boatmen, with a band of music, marched
through the park to the tables that had been spread for their
entertainment. Sonnenkamp immediately gave orders, and in a sharp tone,
that the chairs should be removed.

"It isn't necessary for them to sit down," said he to Pranken; "I had
imagined you would have thought of that. Have them out of the way soon.
You can't trust these common people, they soon get out of order. Let
the wine be taken on board the boats, and there they may get as crazy
as they please."

At the first glass Sevenpiper proposed the health of Frau Sonnenkamp,
and