Age and Beauty and Delivers a

who had passed a miserable night, the freshness of that hour was tonic and reviving; to steal a march upon his slumbering fellows, to be the Adam of the co

. Hard by the farm, it leaped a little precipice in a thick grey-mare’s tail of twisted filaments, and then lay and worked and bubbled

of that so seething pot; and rays plunged deep among the turning waters; and a spark, as bright as a diamond, lit upon the swaying eddy. It began to grow warm where Otto lingered, warm and h

. There is nothing that so apes the external bearing of free will as that unconscious bustle, obscurely following liquid laws, with which a river contends among obstructions. It seems the very play of man and destiny, and as Otto pored on these recurrent changes, he grew, by eq

Killian’s daughter, terrified by her boldness and making bashful signals from the shore. She was a plain, honest lass, healthy and happy

ng and moving towards her. ‘I a

n his tongue out sooner. And Fritz, too — how he went on! But I had a notion; and this morning I went straight down into the stable, and th

d lead on these gentleman to speak of me. And it is I who have to beg of you that you will keep my secret and not betray the discourtesy of which

‘I would not say that: the hu

arly stated. You see the shadow flitting on this hard rock? Prince Otto, I am afraid, is but the moving shadow, and the name of the rock is Gondremark. Ah! if your friends had fallen foul o

, it was just talk and nonsense. When countryfolk get gossiping, they go on, I do assure you, for the fun; they don’t a

you go too fast. For all that

hameful!’ cr

tto. ‘O, yes — true. I am all the

, I defend myself. I wouldn’t take a fault at another person’s hands, no, not if I had it on my forehead. And that’s what you must do, if y

ly laughing. ‘There I a

and I’ll make you say so. . . . Your Highness, I beg your humble par

the ragout. Well now, have you not seen good food so bedevilled by unskilful cookery that no one could be brought to eat the pudding?

reiterated Ottilia, a little flus

one thing,’ repli

ou,’ moralised the girl; ‘such a tongue t

a man of middle age,’

worrying where I was cooking, I would pin a napkin to your tails. . . . And, O Lord, I de

Otto. ‘That is just w

ers’ pitch. But to a jealous onlooker from above, their mirth and close proximity might easily give umbrage; and a rough voic

you have discovered that I am not formidable at close quarte

pping once for a single blushing bob — blushing, because she had in t

laughed and brightened with essential colour. And the beauty of the dell began to rankle in the Prince’s mind; it was so near to his own borders, yet without. He had never had much of the joy of possessorship in any of the thousand and one beautiful and curious thi

slept well under my plain

t you are privileged to dwell in,’

, excellent deep soil. You should see my wheat in the ten-acre field. There is not a farm in Grunewald, no, nor many in Gerolstein, to match the River Farm. Som

eam has fish

s, and, dear heart, to see the very pebbles! all turned to gold and precious stones! But you have come to that time of life, sir, when, if you will excuse me, you must look to have the rheumat

y. ‘And so you have lived your life h

n have prepared themselves for the great change in my old garden. Well do I mind my father, in a woollen night-cap, the good soul, going round and round to see the last of it. ‘Killian,’ said he, ‘do you see the smoke of my tobacco? Why,’ said he, ‘that is man’s life.’ It was his last pipe, and I believe he knew it; and it was a strange thing, without doubt, to leave the trees that he

so? For what re

may say without boasting that, what with my credit and my savings, I could have met the sum. But at three thousand, un

uge; and if so, what more delightful hermitage could man imagine? Mr. Gottesheim, besides, had touched his sympathies. Every man loves in his soul to play the part of the stage deity. And to step down

er,’ he said, ‘and one who would cont

ly obliged; for I begin to find a man may practise resignation all

n burthen the purchase with your interest,’ sai

‘would not, perhaps, care to make the in

Prince dryly; ‘he must earn

nty-eight come harvest, it would be a troublesome thought to the proprietor how to fill my shoes. It w

s unsettled views

purchaser —’

rned in Otto’s cheek. ‘I

happy; and I may say, indeed, that I have entertained an angel unawares. Sir, the great people of this world — and by that I m

ardly, sir,’ said Otto. ‘

th unction. ‘And by what name, sir, a

e, whom he had known in youth, came pertinently to the Prince’s help. ‘Transome,’ he answered, ‘is my name. I am an English traveller. It

lied the farmer. ‘An Englishman! You are a great race of t

nce; ‘not in Gerolstein, indeed. But fortune, as you say, turns

r, I am sure,’

f voices had been some while audible, and now grew louder and more distinct with every step of their advance. Presently, when they emerged upon the top of the bank, they beheld Fritz and

ttesheim, and made as

eved himself to have a share. And, indeed, as soon as he had seen the

an at least, and must reply. What were you after? Why were you two skulking in the bush? Go

tue of what circumstance am I to render you an account of this yo

, she and I. I love her, and she is by way of loving me; but all shall

y possible that you are proud; but she, too, may have some self-esteem; I do not speak for myself. A

s a man, and a woman only a woman. That holds good all over, up and down. I as

ne for farmer-folk. On the prince who neglects his wife you can be most severe. But what of the lover who insults his mistress? You use the name of love. I should think this lady might very fairly ask to be delivered from love of such a nature

looking on with his hands behind his ta

y of manner, but by a glimmering consciousness that he himself was in

and did nothing out of my just rights; but I am above all these o

ted, Fritz,’

e says she promised not to tell; well, then, I mean to know. Civility is civility,

spent my hours in idleness. I have, since I arose this morning, agreed t

. ‘Though it beats me why you could not tell. But, of course, if the ge

Gottesheim, with a stro

old you I was fighting your battles. Now you see! Think shame of your suspicious temper!