ass, came in sight. A
door stood open, within which a fountain was to be seen, in whose gray
marble basin lay blocks of stone with water plants growing in all their
crevices. Some of the trees which needed protection from the winter
were still here, and a few which did not thrive had thick wrappings on
trunk and branches.

They heard a voice. "There he is in the cold-house," said Roland. Eric
told him to turn back now, as he had something to say to his father
alone.

The boy stood as if rooted to the spot. In Eric's manner of ordering
him to go, there was an air of such irresistible authority that he did
not know what to make of it.

As Eric went forward, the boy stood motionless, then turned, snapped
his fingers, and whistled to himself.

Drawing a long breath, Eric stopped a moment to collect himself. What
if this boy were related to him by blood, and he were to find here his
missing uncle? Walking slowly and composedly, he entered the open door
of the green-house.

CHAPTER III.

THE FLAG IS HOISTED.

"Who's there? what do you want?" was asked by a form as it raised
itself up from a bed of black earth. A coarse, gray, sacklike linen
garment covered the form from head to foot; it was like that worn by
convicts, or rather, by the insane.

"What do you want? who are you? whom do you wish to see?" the man again
asked.

"I wish to see Herr Sonnenkamp."

"What do you want of him?"

"I would like to introduce myself to him."

"I am he. Who are you?"

"My name is Eric Dournay. Herr von Pranken had the kindness, day before
yesterday, to--"

"Ah! are you the man?" Sonnenkamp replied, drawing a long breath. With
trembling hands he unfastened the linen sack which he wore over his
coat, saying, with a forced smile, "You have surprised me in my
working-garb."

Rolling the sack together, and tossing it away, he said, "Was no
servant at hand? Do you always wear a uniform?"

It was the uniform then that gave him such a start, thought Eric. And,
on looking at the man, he was sure that he could not be his uncle. The
likeness of his missing uncle, which still hung in his father's study,
was present to his mind; it represented him as a slim, delicate form,
with a very prominent aquiline nose, and no trace of resemblance to
this athletic personage before his eyes.

"I am very sorry for having disturbed you," Eric resumed, convinced
that the first impre