essed his wish for a formal union, but I
preferred not to be called Frau Majorin; it was to me a constant
penance and chastisement for my faithlessness to my parents and my
desertion of all my people. Now we lived in faithfulness, in oneness,
without any formal tie. Thus we have lived, and now it is fulfilled."

"I shall go with you to the wedding," cried the Professor and Weidmann.

But the latter now took Manna's hand, saying:--

"Do you know for whom is the third bridal wreath which shall be woven
from this myrtle-tree?"

Manna trembled, and he went on:--

"It is for you. You have struggled and waited. Help me, Frau Dournay."

The Mother, too, took Manna's hand. The Major, hastening out, came back
bringing Eric, to whom, on their way, he said a great many things mixed
up in strange confusion.

The following day saw the three couples united, and no one can say who
were the happiest. Manna and Eric, the Major and Fraeulein Milch, or
Lina and the Architect.

Rooms were fitted up in the castle, and there Manna and Eric were to
pass the first days of their marriage.

They were sitting at the wedding-feast, which had been tastefully
arranged under the direction of Joseph, who was himself betrothed.
Manna and Eric had helped him to buy an inn at the capital, and he had
plighted his troth to the daughter of mine host of the Victoria. Now,
however, he had returned of his own accord, and was the servant of the
house as formerly.

Very modestly did Knopf bring forward three different poems which he
had composed for the triple wedding; into these he had skilfully
interwoven all sorts of little occurrences, to the amusement of all.

Eric whispered to Manna, as he sat by her side: "I am glad that I have
already danced with you. I feel as though I must now whirl round with
you in the dance, and forget everything. But I must hush: our good
teacher is about to speak."

Einsiedel arose, with a smile upon his face, saying with sparkling
eyes: "Come hither, you children of the Rhine, and I will teach you
something. My pupil, here, Dr. Dournay, knows it, I shall only remind
him of it; but to you I must say it:--

"All my theologies tell us of immortal gods; but they are not immortal
by nature, they are only so by the divine drink, by means of nectar,
wine, and mead: these are the potions which give eternal life; and,
floating in the clouds, and drinking from the clouds, the deities
become immortal, and with them the inspi