red
betrothed to Pranken.

There was a good deal of gossip about some of the guests at the Baths,
their loose and frivolous lives, all of which Manna listened to with
the rest, secretly thinking all the while: It is well to know all the
discord and confusion of the wicked world before leaving it forever.

Eric divined that some such thought was in her mind, and said in a low
tone:--

"In the Bible God says that he will spare Sodom, if a few righteous
persons are found in it. And so it is now. The sun shines, the birds
sing, the flowers bloom, and the world is better than it seems."

"So you are a believer too?" asked Manna softly.

"Yes; but in a different way from yours."

On rising from table, Clodwig, Sonnenkamp, Eric, Roland, and the
Banker, started on a long walk in the woods, while Bella kept Manna by
her. Pranken also staid behind with the ladies, being excused today
from attendance on the Prince.

Bella had succeeded in getting invitations for Sonnenkamp and his
family to the next assembly, at which only the first nobility of Europe
were to be present, and began to talk over with Manna the dress she
should wear on the occasion. Manna had begged to be allowed to stay at
home, but this was declared impossible, and she had been obliged to
consent to appear.

Meanwhile the men were taking their walk through the woods. Eric had
joined Clodwig at once, and made him smile by saying that he had never
before participated in the gaieties of a watering-place, and that the
life here almost bewildered him. He wondered whether it would be
possible to induce men to go, for a few weeks of every year, to some
place for the cure of their souls. In this care for the bodily health
was exhibited a selfishness which the world usually took pains to
conceal. Clodwig had remained standing, while Eric thus spoke.

"You will never feel quite at home in the world," he answered,
continuing his walk.

At a turn in the road, Eric fell back and allowed Sonnenkamp to go in
front with Clodwig. There was something at once attractive and
repulsive to Clodwig in the society of Sonnenkamp. He had never seen
such a man before, and was chiefly impressed by the sort of courage he
possessed in assuming no foreign disguise.

Sonnenkamp made another attempt to induce the Count to use his
influence in procuring him a title, but was treated as he never before
had been in his life, by receiving a most crushing answer couched in
words of courte