only the earth would swallow him up," he thought,
"this Immerthal. Why must he come and disturb us? I only
hope he won't go along and talk about his riding lessons the whole
hour"--For Erwin Immerthal had riding lessons also. He was the son of a
bank director and lived here outside the gate. With his crooked legs
and his eyes like slits he came along the avenue to meet them, his
school-bag already safe at home.

"Hello, Immerthal," said Hans. "I'm taking a little walk with Kroeger."

"I have to go into town," said Immerthal, "on some errands. But I'll
walk a piece with you ... Those are fruit tablets, aren't they? Thanks,
yes, I'll eat a couple. We take another lesson tomorrow, Hans."--He
meant the riding lesson.

"Fine!" said Hans. "You know, I'm going to get the leather spats now,
because I got A on my exercise last week."

"I suppose you aren't taking riding lessons yet, Kroeger?" asked
Immerthal, and his eyes were only a pair of shining slits.

"No," answered Tonio with quite uncertain accent.

"You ought to ask your father, Kroeger," remarked Hans Hansen, "to let
you take lessons too."

"Ayah," said Tonio both hastily and indifferently. For a moment he
had a lump in his throat, because Hans had called him by his surname;
and Hans seemed to feel this, for he said in explanation:

"I call you Kroeger, because your Christian name is so crazy; excuse me,
but I don't like it. Tonio ... that's no name at all. But then it's not
your fault, of course not."

"No, I suppose the chief reason why you are named that is because it
sounds foreign and is uncommon," said Immerthal, acting as if he wanted
to patch things up.

Tonio's mouth quivered. He pulled himself together and said,

"Yes, it is a silly name, and Heaven knows I wish I were named Heinrich
or Wilhelm, you can take my word for that. But the reason is that a
brother of my mother, for whom I was christened, is named Antonio; for
you know my mother came from over there ..."

Then he said no more, and let the other two talk of horses and harness.
Hans had taken Immerthal's arm, and was talking with a fluent sympathy
which never could have been aroused in him for _Don Carlos_ ... From
time to time Tonio felt rising and tickling his nose a desire to weep;
and he had difficulty in controlling his chin, which constantly tried
to quiver.

Hans did not like his name--what was to be done? His own name was Hans,
and Immerthal's was Erwin; very well, those were