pleasant journeys, the protecting ladies, and the roguish girls who
played with him. Suddenly he cried,--"Eric! thy mother!" for she had
said to him on taking leave, Be so worthy, that Eric will never leave
you! This thought was now aroused within him, and on the other hand,
there were the carriages driving, and the merry troop riding on
horseback, and he among them. How could this old, grave lady, clad in
mourning, who stood in the path, detain him? It was like a feverish
waking dream.

"Eric! thy mother!" cried he again, and then he said, embracing him,--

"Eric! I remain with you! now help me, so that they shall not take me
away without you."

"You are not to be obstinate with your parents, but you have now also a
duty to me; you must not leave me, as I must not leave you."

It was a hard struggle to gain the consent of the parents to Roland's
remaining at the villa with Eric. Frau Ceres was brought over the
soonest, but Sonnenkamp held out, and Roland looked on in perplexity.
The desire arose in him that his father would withhold his consent, and
Eric be prevailed on to go with them.

Eric took the father aside, and told him that he considered it would be
the ruin of Roland, if now when he had voluntarily pledged himself, and
was constrained to do what was best, the whole should be upset; the
youth had never, on account of various distractions, come to any
knowledge of himself. He declared that, grievous as it would be to him,
he should be obliged to leave the family, if Roland went with them. He
had not said this to Roland, for Roland should not be permitted to
think upon the possibility of the tie being severed. He besought
Sonnenkamp to employ now a little policy; it would not be wrong. He was
to say to Roland, that he wanted to test his constancy, and he was glad
that he had stood the trial; that he had hoped Roland would make the
proposal to stay with Eric, and he gave his consent.

Inwardly chafing, Sonnenkamp complied with this proposition, and Roland
saw himself released on the one side, and bound on the other.

On. the next day, the parents set out on the journey.

Eric and Roland drove with them to the railroad station, and when the
approaching train was signalized to be near, Sonnenkamp took his son
aside, and said to him,--

"My boy, if it is too hard for you, jump into the car, and leave the
Doctor to himself. Believe me, he won't run away from you; there is a
golden whistle by which every on