l come and take
care of him. Herr Captain, one ought to be sick for once, so as to have
Fraeulein Milch nurse him."

Fraeulein Milch declared herself ready to come to Clodwig, if she were
called upon.

Eric rode on, and now sought to put in a right point of view all that
he had experienced, so that he might gain the strength necessary to
bear up under coming events. How much had happened to him and to others
since he rode out from Wolfsgarten to Villa Eden? Every thing passed
through his soul, and he breathed deep in silent satisfaction as he
thought what would have been his condition now, if he had not exerted
all his strength to bring himself into right relations with Bella. How
different would it be, were he riding now with a soul torn by
conflicting feelings, unable to help wishing for Clodwig's death in
order that he might get possession of Bella, and obliged to stand like
the most abject hypocrite by the bedside of the dying one. No poet yet
has ventured to depict the mental state of two people who expect to
base their happiness on the news of another's death; and these, no
criminals but cultivated, and intelligent.

Eric looked upon himself as one rescued from destruction. Never was a
man possessed by more pious emotions than Eric was now, as, stopping,
he said to himself,--

"I thank thee, thou Eternal and Ineffable Spirit; for it is not I who
have, through my education and inherited tendencies, become what I am.
I am now pure; I will not be unworthy of it, but keep myself pure and
innocent."

Wanting to get rid, finally, of his thoughts and speculations, he spoke
to the messenger, an old confidential servant of the Wolfsgarten
family. The messenger related how Clodwig had come home from Villa Eden
in company with the Banker, and how they had thought he would have died
at that time.

The servant turned round, and, pointing with his whip to Villa Eden,
said, "There's no queerer state of things anywhere than in this world."
In the midst of his deep distress, Eric could not help laughing aloud
at this odd remark.

"Is any one of the relatives at Wolfsgarten?"

"No: the Jew is the only one there. But he is a friend of our master."

Eric regretted that he had entered into conversation with the servant,
for he could not restrain him from talking about what he thought would
be done, if the gracious master should die.

At the last hill, Eric dismounted, and walked over the wooded height.
It was all still.