I'll remember that to the end of my days."

Grubersepp laughed heartily. The little, gray-haired man must have
thought himself quite young to talk thus of the end of his days as a
thing of the remote future.

On Friday, the pastor returned. He had not seen Countess Irma, as she
had accompanied the court to a watering-place. He had left the letter
at the palace, and was told that it would be forwarded to her.

CHAPTER XII.

The weathercock turned again and indicated fair weather. The sky was
almost cloudless. With men's minds it was just the same. It was rumored
in the village that Hansei had bought the farm on the other side of the
lake, and that he had paid for it in ready money. How could any one
harbor ill-feeling against a man who was able to do that? No; it was
shameful, on the part of the innkeeper, to drive a man like Hansei, and
such a woman as Walpurga, from the village. They were a credit to every
one, to say nothing of the advantage it is to have such rich and good
people in the place--people, moreover, who have themselves been poor
and know how the poor feel.

Hansei and Walpurga now received kindly greetings wherever they went,
and all spoke of their intended departure as if it grieved them to
think of it.

The ringleader on the Sunday that the band had come to the house, the
very one, indeed, who wanted to play a trick on Hansei, now came and
offered to engage with him as a farm-hand. Hansei replied that, for the
present, he would keep the servants who were at the farm, and that, in
the beginning, he would require people who knew all about the
neighborhood and the farm itself. He said that he might be able to
employ him later. Hansei was obliged to travel back and forth quite
frequently. There were many legal matters to be arranged, and, besides,
there was an old resident on the property who had a life-claim against
the estate, for maintenance and support, and whom money would not
induce to quit the house.

"And do you know," said Hansei, one day, "who helped me ever so much?
We had quite forgotten that Stasi lives up there near the frontier,
about three leagues from the farm. Her husband is the under-forester at
that district. He showed me the forest, and he's quite right when he
says that paths can be made, so that beams and planks may be brought
down. Won't you go with me some time, and take a look at our new home?"

"I'll wait till we go there for good,"