ardest corporal is a
tender nun in comparison--such words he brought out. It must truly be a
fact! In countries where good tobacco grows, and snakes and parrots,
Fraeulein Milch has said, there the soil of men's hearts is much hotter,
and there things grow up, and creatures creep out and fly about, such
as we have no sort of idea about. And how Frau Ceres carried on, I'll
not speak of.

"But you know who first told where the youth is? Fraeulein Milch told
it. And do you know what she said? 'If I were a young girl, I would run
after Herr Eric too, over mountain and valley.' That is to say, she has
said that in all honor; she has never loved any one but me, and we have
known each other now for nine and forty years, and that is something.
But why do we speak of such things now? we shall have time enough for
this by and by. You are right, you are smarter than I thought for; it
is shrewd in you not to make terms at once. Now he has come to you,
into the house, you can make whatever conditions you want to. In his
raving he cried,--A million to him who restores my son to me! You can
claim the million, it belongs to you; I am witness of that."

Eric declared that he was irresistibly attracted towards the boy, but
that he could not come to terms, for it would be the highest kind of
ingratitude if he should decline the position that had been offered to
him in such a friendly way, and of which a report had certainly been
made, before this time, to the Prince.

In what light would he stand with his patron, and with the Prince, who
had, besides, grounds of displeasure with him, if he should now say,
"Thank you kindly; I have, in the mean while, made a previous
engagement elsewhere"? The Major drummed with the fore and middle
fingers of his right hand rapidly upon the table, as if his fingers
were drumsticks.

"Bad, very bad," he said. "Yes, yes, fate often takes an extra train
too; everything has an extra train now-a-days."

Eric said, in addition, that service to an individual had its
difficulty; he might perhaps be able to consent to appear ungrateful,
and forfeit forever all favor, but he feared lest, in the dependent
servitude to the rich man, he might often be troubled with the thought
how much more free he might have been in the service of the State.

The Major continued to drum and drum, repeating the words,--

"Bad--very bad!"

He uttered the words so oddly, that it sounded like a crow, in the
freshly-turned furrow