the wind carried the smoke it
had torn away from the locomotive like a light cloud that rapidly
vanishes?

Just as if you were on the prairie, on the steppes, the boy thought
to himself, where there are no longer any huts and only the camp fires
send their little bit of smoke up as a token. A certain love of
adventure was mingled with the bliss of being free. He had always
wished to camp out. Of course he would not be able to light a fire and
cook by it; he had nothing to do it with. But he did not feel hungry.
There was only one thing he needed now, to sleep long and soundly.

He lay down without hesitating. The ground was already cool, but his
clothes were thick and prevented the cold from penetrating. He made a
sort of pillow for his head, and lay with his face turned towards the
evening sky. Pale stars gradually appeared on it, and smiled down at
him.

He had thought he would fall asleep at once, he felt tired out, but
he lay a long time with open eyes. An inexplicable sensation kept him
awake: this was too beautiful, too beautiful, it was like a splendid
dream. Golden eyes protected him, a velvety mantle enveloped him, a
mother rocked him gently.

Longing, defiance, pain, fury, everything that hurt had disappeared.
Only happiness remained in this infinite peace.

CHAPTER XII

Frida Lamke had now been confirmed. She wore a dress that almost
touched the ground, and when she saw Wolfgang Schlieben for the first
time after a long interval, her greeting was no longer the familiar
nod of childhood. But she stopped when she came up to her former
play-fellow.

"Hallo, Wolfgang," she said, laughing, and at the same time a little
condescendingly--she felt so infinitely superior to him--"well, how are
you getting along?"

"All right." He put on a bold air which did not exactly suit the
look in his eyes.

She examined him; what a fine fellow Wolfgang had grown. But he held
himself so badly, he bent forward so. "Hold yourself up, for goodness'
sake," she exhorted, and she straightened her own rush-like figure.
"Why do you make such a round back? And you blink your eyes as if you
were short-sighted. Hm, you should be with my employer--oh my, she
would make you sit up." She chuckled to herself, her whole slender
figure shook with a secret inclination to laugh.

"You're so happy," he said slowly.

"Well, why shouldn't I be? Do you think such an old dragon can spoil
my good humour? Come, that would be stupid