ies; and if men talked of the
riddles of life, his face always said,--I see no mystery, all is clear
to me; only come to us, we have an answer to everything.

The small house which the Major inhabited was attached to the large
mansion; one side looked toward the highroad, and the other commanded a
view of the river and the mountains beyond. The Major confined himself
strictly to his little house, and his own special little garden with
its arbor. He watched over the larger dwelling and its garden, like a
castellan, but he never lived there, and often did not enter them for
the many months during which they stood empty.

Eric found the Major in his little garden, smoking a long pipe and
reading the newspaper, with a cup of cold coffee before him. An
exceedingly neat-looking old lady, with a large white cap, was sitting
opposite, engaged in darning stockings; she rose as soon as Eric
entered the garden, and hardly waited to be presented. The Major
touched his cap in military fashion, and took the long pipe from his
mouth.

"Fraeulein Milch, this is my comrade, Herr Doctor Dournay, lately
Captain."

Fraeulein Milch courtesied, took up her basket of stockings, and went
into the house.

"She is good and sensible, always contented and cheerful; you will
become better acquainted," said the Major, as she withdrew; "and she
understands men,--no one better,--she looks them through and through.
Sit down, comrade, you have come just at my pleasantest hour. You see,
this is the way I live: I have nothing particular to do, but I get up
early,--it prolongs life,--and every day I gain a victory over a lazy,
effeminate fellow, who has to take a cold bath, and then go to walk; he
often doesn't want to, but he has to do it. And then, you see, I come
home, and sit here in the morning:--and here is a white cloth spread
on the table, and before me stand a pot of coffee, good cream, a
roll--butter I don't eat. I pour out my coffee, dip in the roll which
is so good and crisp--I can still bite well, Fraeulein Milch keeps my
teeth in order--then at the second cup, I take my pipe and puff out the
smoke over the world, and over the world's history, which the newspaper
brings me every day. I still have good eyes, I can read without
spectacles, and can hit a mark; and I can hear well, and my back is
still good; I hold myself as straight as a recruit--and look you,
comrade, I am the richest man in the world. And then at noon I have my
soup--no