d she to herself, "O, Frau Countess, you are highly virtuous,
virtuous in the extreme, most respectfully virtuous, and beautiful too,
you are; but I was once young and beautiful, and no one has ever
ventured to give me an uncivil word; I have gone through the streets
unattended by a servant, I was my own attendant, my own protector, and
my own support. O Frau Countess, you stand very far up on the list of
rank, I don't know but that you ought to be addressed as Your Highness!
O Frau Countess, take care, there is another list of nobility which the
Major ought to give you a glimpse of; no, not he; it would mortify him
to death; but Herr Dournay, he must do it. No--nobody--only myself."

And just as she had become composed, the Major again knocked, crying:--

"Fraeulein Milch! dear good Rosa," he added in a whisper, "Rosie,
Rosalie!"

"What do you want?" the Major heard laughingly asked.

"Oh heavens! it's all right now you are laughing again. There are two
good people here, the Architect, and Lina the Justice's daughter; they
are betrothed, and have come to receive our congratulations. Do come,
join us in the garden, and bring right off a bottle and four glasses."

Fraeulein Milch opened the door. The Major asked:--

"Mayn't I know what has been the matter with you?"

"You shall know, sure enough, but don't ask me any more now. So the
young people are betrothed, and at the house? I must dress myself up a
little, and I'll come down immediately."

"So do. That's nice."

Fraeulein Milch was delivered from all her own trouble, when the duty
was enjoined upon her of rejoicing with the joyful; and the betrothed
couple forgot the castle, and remained for hours sitting with the Major
and Fraeulein Milch in the arbor.

Then the journal came, and the Major begged to be excused for reading
it before his guests; he received the paper after the burgomaster, the
school-master, and the barber had read it, and so he could keep it. As
he had nothing more to do with the world, it made no difference whether
he learned an hour or two sooner or later what had happened.

"Oh, here's a great black mark," exclaimed Lina.

"That's the burgomaster's mark," said the Major. "Fraeulein Milch, would
you read to me? There must be something very special."

The Fraeulein took the paper, but she covered her face with her hand
after she had looked into it.

"What's the matter? You read, dear Lina."

Lina read the bitter paragraph by Profes