happy it made the
sorely weary boy, to be carried along towards Eric without any effort
of his own.

"Where lies your way, Herr Baron?" asked the neighbor,

Roland named his destination, but looked in surprise at the man who
called him Baron; had he become one in the course of the night? At a
junction, where a new set of officials took charge of the train, his
neighbor, who was leaving it, said to one of them,--

"Attend to the young Baron, who is sitting there."

Roland was pleased to be so called, and a peculiar feeling came over
him of the satisfaction one must have in being really a baron; then one
would have a lasting title with lasting honors in the world. The
thought only passed through his mind, and quickly vanished, as he began
directly to imagine Eric's pleasure at seeing him; his face glowed with
impatience and longing.

Suddenly a painful thought struck him. Where had he left the dog? He
had quite lost or forgotten him. But on rolled the cars through
valleys, cuts, and tunnels, and it seemed to Roland a year, since he
left his home.

Not far from the university, where the road again divided, some
students entered the train. They soon let their fellow-passengers
understand that they had performed the great exploit of drinking a
May-bowl at their fathers' expense: for anybody could drink native
wine. They had also brought some provision into the car, and in their
generosity or their ostentation they wanted Roland to drink with them,
but he declined with as much modesty as decision.

Twilight had gathered when they reached the university-town.

Roland asked for Doctor Dournay; one of the students, a fine-looking
youth who had kept aloof from the noisy party, told him to come with
him, as he lived near the widow of the professor. As Roland went with
him, a strange fear came upon him: what if he could not find Eric? or
if Eric would have nothing more to do with him? How much might have
happened since they parted!

With beating heart he ascended the steep, dark, wooden staircase. At
the top, the door of a room opened, and at the door stood a woman, who
asked,--

"Whom do you wish to see?"

"The Herr Captain Dournay."

"He is away from home."

CHAPTER XIV.

A NEW SON.

Roland asked to be allowed to come in and wait, and was led into the
sitting-room; the servant maid told him that Eric had gone to the
capital, but might possib