Professor Crutius came, and made
friendly overtures to Roland; but the latter said,--

"You cannot want my friendship."

The information brought by Crutius concerning the state of affairs in
the New World gave rise to many an animated discussion on the great,
decisive, protracted struggle between freedom and slavery apparently
impending there. Crutius could corroborate from his own observation the
statement, that the Southern States were abundantly provided with
disciplined officers; for in the military school at West Point, where
he had formerly been a teacher, there were many more Southern than
Northern students. If the Union succumbed, if, as was very possible,
the slaveholders should conquer, the cause of freedom was wounded to
the core. Not only would men lose their faith, but the cause itself
would be injured; who knew how deeply or for how long a time?

Soon after Professor Crutius departure, a kind of dulness and dejection
was observable in Roland. He did what was required of him; but he wore,
for hours together, a fixed and hard expression. Neither to Weidmann
nor to Eric did he reveal what was passing in his mind. To Knopf alone
he confessed his anxieties, making the latter promise that he would
tell no one else.

Roland had learned that Dr. Fritz was his father's bitterest foe; he
had also accidentally heard Crutius tell Weidmann, that he had no doubt
Sonnenkamp was one of the most zealous of the Southern leaders, and
would take an active part in the war.

Like a smothered fire which suddenly sends up countless tongues of
flame, so did all Roland's anguish revive. Anguish for his father's
deeds, for his flight and the elopement of Bella while his mother yet
lived, for his mother's death and his own inheritance of sorrow--all
these several pains were blended confusedly within him, and his one
hope of deliverance seemed annihilated. Lilian is the child of one of
his father's most determined enemies, and, if forced to decide, can he
take the field against his father?

Roland became desperate. Is there any thing like a righteous moral
order in the affairs of this world? No: all is chaos and barbarism.

Knopf knew not how to comfort him, and found it hard to keep his own
promise of secrecy.

One day, a bright, cold, bracing winter day, Weidmann crossed the river
to close a contract for the supply of railway sleepers, and took Roland
with him.

On their return, they found the Rhine full of floating ice.