s it lies under the radiance of
the moon. But beautiful it is also to look from the mountain-top, over
the forests, the terraced vineyards, the villages, the cities, and the
far-reaching river.

A fresh impulse and animation were now given to the life at
Wolfsgarten. The picture of Eric and Roland was brought to completion,
and Eric set in order Clodwig's cabinet, thus introducing his pupil to
the curiosities of antiquity. There was singing and laughing, there
were walks and rides in the neighboring forests, and many a memorable
conversation.

Bella often took the parrot with her when she walked with Eric through
the park and the forest. The bird took a great antipathy to Eric, and
would scold at him from its place on its mistress's shoulder. Sometimes
she let it loose with the injunction, "Be sure and come home at night,
Koko;" and Koko would perch upon a tree, and fly this way and that,
through the forest, always returning at evening. Her freed slave, Bella
called him, at such times.

Now, however, Koko had been absent two days. Clodwig offered every
reward to get the bird back again, never remarking how quietly his wife
took her favorite's loss.

As a matter of course, Bella walked with Eric while Roland and Lina
roamed about together in the forest, Lina delighted at being allowed to
revel in a child's freedom. At other times, when Eric and Bella were
strolling through park and forest, Roland would sit in the potter's
workshop, where the clay from the neighboring hills was moulded. He had
the whole process explained to him, and was amazed to see what care and
labor a single vessel required. Two boys, of about his own age,
trampled the clay with their naked feet in order to render it pliable,
after which workmen formed it into tiles and architectural ornaments.
At a potter's wheel sat a handsome, powerfully-built youth, turning it
with his bare feet; then he lifted the clay with great care into the
required shape, formed the rim and the nose, and almost tenderly raised
the finished vessel from the wheel, and set it in its place on a shelf
with the others. He always took precisely the quantity of clay required
for the vessel, and never allowed his heavy hands to make on it an
impression which he had not designed.

Roland watched the whole scene thoughtfully. Could these men be helped
by money? No; their life might be made richer, but they must still
work.

The young man who shaped the vessels was dumb. He would