at the Oberhof passed, one after the other. The Justice,
to be sure, looked upon it all with different eyes, but was, of course,
obliged to let things which he could not prevent go on. But he often
shook his head when he saw his young guests walking and talking with
each other so much, and would say to himself: "It isn't right for a
young nobleman like that!"

CHAPTER XII

THE DISTURBANCE. WHAT HAPPENED IN A VILLAGE CHURCH

Finally the Hunter finished cutting the pen. He pushed a sheet of paper
toward her and asked her to try it and see if it would write. She did
so, but could not make it work very well; it had teeth, she said. He
looked at what she had written; it was her own name, in the clearest and
most regular lines. The fine letters delighted him.

Then the door opened and the bridesmaid entered with a dress and a
request that Lisbeth be the third bridesmaid.

Outside the music, varied by the ringing of bells, was coming nearer and
nearer, and now the bridal carriage, drawn by two strong horses, hove
into sight at the farther end of the road leading through the oak grove.
The first bridesmaid stood demurely beside the bride, with her large and
rather malodorous bouquet; the men stood by the chests and bundles in
the entrance-hall, all ready to seize them for the last time; the
Justice was looking about anxiously for the second and third
bridesmaids, for if the latter were not on hand before the appearance of
the bridegroom to take the place which the day assigned to them, the
entire ceremony, according to his notion, was done for. But finally,
exactly at the right time, the two awaited girls came down the steps and
took their stands on either side of the first, just as the carriage
turned in toward the open space in front of the house.

With an expression of unconcern on his face, like that of all the
principal persons of this ceremony, the bridegroom alighted from the
carriage. Some young people, his most intimate friends, followed him,
adorned with ribbons and bouquets. He slowly approached the bride, who
even now did not look up, but went on spinning and spinning. The first
bridesmaid then fastened the large bouquet of sage to the breast of his
wedding-jacket. The bridegroom accepted the bouquet without thanks, for
thanks were not included in the traditional routine. He silently
offered his hand to his father-in-law, then, just as silently, to his
bride, who thereupon arose and placed herself with th