t sons went with them to
the bank of the river, where they unfastened the boat, and rowed to the
villa.

The water was now very still and clear, and reflected the red glow of
the sunset-sky. Eric sat by himself in silence, during one of those
blissful hours when one thinks of nothing, and yet enjoys all. Roland
kept time in rowing with the sons of Sevenpiper; then, without stroke
of the oar, they let the boat float, and it glided noiselessly along in
the middle of the stream.

The stars were glittering in the sky when they arrived at the villa.

CHAPTER IV.

THE GOSPEL OF THE RICH YOUNG MAN.

The architect came in the morning for Roland, who was to make, under
his direction, some drawings of the castle-ruins.

Herr Sonnenkamp reminded Eric that he was to visit the priest, and he
set out soon after he had seen Fraeulein Perini return from mass. The
priest's house had a garden in front, and was in silent seclusion in
the village itself silent. If the bell had not rung so loudly, and if
the two white Pomeranian dogs had not barked so loudly, one would have
believed that there could be no loud noise in such a well-arranged
establishment as this appeared to be at the very entrance-hall. The
dogs were silenced, and the housekeeper told Eric, who seemed to be
expected, to go up stairs.

Eric found the ecclesiastic in his sunny, unadorned room, sitting at
the table, and holding in his left hand a book, while his right lay
upon a terrestrial globe supported upon a low pedestal.

"You catch me in the wide world," said the ecclesiastic, giving Eric a
cordial welcome, and biding him take a seat upon the sofa, over which
hung a colored print, of St. Borromeo, which was well-meaning enough,
but not very beautiful.

A home-like peacefulness was in this room; everything seemed to express
an absence of all pretension and all assumption, and a simple desire to
pass the hours and the days in quiet meditation. Two canary birds,
here, however, in two cages, appeared to entertain a lively desire, as
did the dogs below, to give vent to their feelings. The ecclesiastic
called to them to be quiet, and they became dumb, as if by magic, and
only looked inquisitively at Eric.

The priest informed him that he was just following out on the globe the
journey of a missionary; and he caused the globe to revolve, while
saying this, with his delicate right hand.

"Perhaps you are not