end to his advantage. But I'll do
as though I believed you in it. Where is the boy?"

"A prisoner in his room till bed-time."

"The devil! Yours is a strict government! But wherefore?"

"He spoke contemptuously of the respectable state of citizenship."

"Death and hell! By that I see the blood of our family flows in
him--And 'tis therefore you have imprisoned the noble fellow! Zounds! I
can fancy, then, how you would have managed me, if you had given me
your fair hand in marriage: I should never again have got out of the
cellar into daylight. No, that won't do; I'll not stand it. I am the
boy's uncle, and have also a word to say in his education."

He rushed out, but at the door was met by the old Herr von Schindel, to
whom he exclaimed, "Your niece has grown restive, and positively won't
enter the stall of matrimony; do you teach her better--I go for help:"

With two springs he was up the stairs and at Henry's door, while
Schindel entered to the lovers.

"Do you then doubt my having a father's feeling for Althea's child?"
said Tausdorf to the widow, deeply mortified.

"It is not that alone," she stammered; "it seems to me as if a second
marriage would be a treachery to my first husband; and that one day, in
a better world, I should not be able to come before his eyes, if I
contracted a fresh union here below."

"Fie! fie! niece," cried Schindel, gravely; "so good a Christian, and
so little versed in the Bible? Have you not read in the holy
scriptures, what sort of answer was given to a similar doubt, and who
gave that answer? 'there will no one marry, nor be given in marriage?'
and your departed lord will thank Tausdorf, with a brother's love, for
having made his Althea happy in the time of her earthly pilgrimage,
when he himself was no longer able."

"Heaven reward you for these words, my dear uncle," exclaimed Tausdorf
joyfully, grasping the old knight's hand, when Netz burst in, the
little Henry in his arms, and setting him between the lovers, on the
ground, cried, "Stand here, boy, and decide: your mother is going to
marry again; whom would you like to have for your father-in-law?"

With a loud cry of joy the child sprang up to Tausdorf, and clasped his
knees, looking up to him with a sweet smile of affection.

"My son!" exclaimed Tausdorf, in emotion; and he lifted up the little
one in his arms, and kissed him warmly.

"Then join your mother's hand with his," continued Netz.--The boy
stretched out h