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“I don’t want any presents from the stupid Cuno,” replied Wolf, “neither will I appear glad to see him; and for aught I care, he might follow our blessed father; then we should inherit Hirschberg and everything, and to you, madame, we would sell those ornaments at a low price.”

“Indeed, you good-for-nothing!” exclaimed his mother angrily, “I should have to buy the ornaments, should I? Is that your gratitude for my procuring Zollern for you? Little Schalk, I can have the ornaments free, can I not?

“No pay, no work, lady mother!” replied Schalk, laughing. “And if it be true that the ornaments are worth as much as most castles are, we certainly should not be fools enough to hang them around your neck. As soon as Cuno shuts his eyes for good, we will ride over there, divide every thing, and I will sell my part of the ornaments. Then if you will give more than the Jew, you shall have them.”

Thus speaking, they came to the castle gate, and the countess had great difficulty in concealing the rage she felt, as Count Cuno rode over the draw-bridge. When he saw his step-mother and brothers standing there, he stopped his horse, dismounted, and greeted them politely; for although they had done him much wrong, still he remembered that they were his brothers and that his father had loved this woman.

“Well, this is nice to have my son visit us,” said the countess, in a sweet voice, and with a gracious smile. “How do you like Hirschberg? Can one feel at home there? And you have furnished yourself with a sedan. Why, how splendid it is! an empress would have no cause to be ashamed of it; a wife will not be long wanting, I’m thinking, to ride around the country in it.”

“I have not thought about that yet, gracious mother,” replied Cuno, “and will therefore take home other company for my entertainment; for this purpose I have brought along the sedan.”

“Why, you are very kind and thoughtful,” interrupted the countess, as she bowed and smiled.

“For he can not ride a horse very well now,” continued Cuno, quietly. “Father Joseph, I mean, the chaplain. I will take him home with me, for he is my old teacher, and we made that arrangement when I left Zollern. I will also pick up the old Frau Feldheimerin at the foot of the mountain. Why, bless me, she’s as old as the hills, and saved my life once when I rode out for the first time with my blessed father. I have plenty of room in Hirschberg, and she shall live and die there.” So saying, he passed through the court-yard to call the chaplain.

The youngster Wolf bit his lips angrily; the countess became livid with rage; while Schalk laughed aloud. “What will you give me for the horse that I received as a present from him?” said he. “Brother Wolf, will you trade off your harness for it? Is he going to take home the chaplain and the old witch? They will make a fine pair; in the forenoon he can learn Greek from the chaplain, and in the afternoon take lessons in witchcraft from Frau Feldheimerin. Why, what kind of tricks is the stupid Cuno up to!”

“He is a low, vulgar fellow,” cried the countess, “and you shouldn’t laugh about it, little Schalk. It is a shame for the whole family, and we shall be the sport of the neighborhood when it is reported that the Count of Zollern has fetched the old witch home to live with him in a splendid sedan. He gets that from his mother, who was also familiar with the sick and with miserable servants. Alas, his father would turn in his coffin if he could know of it.”

“Yes,” added Schalk, “father would say in his grave: ‘Know already! stupid stuff!'”

“As sure as you live! there he comes now with the old man, and is not ashamed to take him by the arm,” exclaimed the countess, in disgust. “Come, I don’t wish to meet him again.”