il to-morrow; I
cannot--I must first compose myself. Ah, I deny myself. Early to-morrow
morning."

She now untied a blue silk scarf that she wore around her neck, and
placed it about his.

Another kiss, and still another, and they parted.

CHAPTER XVI.

REJOICE in YOUR LIFE.

Eric sat a long time on the bench; night came on, and he saw a light in
his mother's house. He knew that she and his aunt were together, and he
fancied that he heard the tones of a harp, but yet it was too far off
for the sound to roach him. But the tones resounded within him, and the
question darted through his mind: How will Manna bear it when she
learns the terrible secret? And canst thou share in possessions so
acquired? How Sonnenkamp will rave! What will Pranken do? The world
will say, it was nicely contrived; while the father and the betrothed
were absent, he has with his mother's help stolen away the daughter of
the house. Let the world come on! Love conquers everything!

He saw a light in Manna's room, and heard the window shut; he looked
for a long time up to it, and then went to the courtyard and ordered
the groom to saddle a horse.

The groom said there was none there except Herr Sonnenkamp's black
steed.

"Saddle him then."

"I dare not do it. My master allows no one to ride him."

"Do as I order you."

The horse was led out; he opened his large eyes on Eric, distended his
nostrils, and tossed back his mane as he neighed.

"That's well!" exclaimed Eric.

He mounted and rode off at a tearing trot. He felt perfectly safe on
the horse, who seemed to take delight in his free rider.

Where will he go? Far away--away to the world's end. He felt buoyant,
as if the weight of the body were removed, and he could fly away into
the wide, wide world.

He rode now down the mountain to the village where Claus lived. All
that he had experienced on this road, and all that he had thought,
thronged in upon his mind at once, and he even looked to see if Roland
were riding by his side.

Roland! How strange! It struck him as an immeasurably long time since
Roland had left him; it was the recollection of a far-off event, that
he once had instructed a youth on the verge of manhood.

He gazed at the fields, at the vineyards, as if he must ask them: How
is it, how will it be when I call you mine--a bit of the world my own!
Trees, meadows, vine-hills, fields and vineyards dance