etc.--naturally have a tendency to extortion, but soon give in
when they see that one understands the language and customs and
is determined not to be put upon. Generally I find the life much
cheaper than I expected."

In 1844, his sister, to whom he was passionately devoted, was married to
an old friend, Oscar von Arnim. Never did an elder brother write to his
young sister more delightful letters than those which she received from
him; from them we get a pleasant picture of his life at this time.
Directly after the wedding, when he was staying with his father at
Schoenhausen, he writes:

"Just now I am living here with my father, reading, smoking, and
walking; I help him to eat lamperns and sometimes play a comedy
with him which it pleases him to call fox-hunting. We start out
in heavy rain, or perhaps with 10 degrees of frost, with Ihle,
Ellin, and Karl; then in perfect silence we surround a clump of
firs with the most sportsmanlike precautions, carefully observing
the wind, although we all, and probably father as well, are
absolutely convinced that there is not a living creature in it
except one or two old women gathering firewood. Then Ihle, Karl,
and the two dogs make their way through the cover, emitting the
most strange and horrible sounds, especially Ihle; father stands
there motionless and on the alert with his gun cocked, just as
though he really expected to see something. Ihle comes out just
in front of him, shouting 'Hoo lala, hey heay, hold him, hie,
hie,' in the strangest and most astonishing manner. Then father
asks me if I have seen nothing, and I with the most natural tone
of astonishment that I can command, answer 'No, nothing at all.'
Then after abusing the weather we start off to another wood,