to us when he arrived at the house, led by a troop of admiring and
rejoicing friends. He was attended by his cook, and had brought with
him a sackful of provisions and his feather bed, which came toiling up
the hill in a cart.

Fräulein Magdalena stood rapturously before the welcome guest,
offering him a quart glass of water: "No beer to offer you, Herr
Pflersch, but glorious water, Herr Pflersch."

Moidel apologized for not going a step of the way with us, "But Herr
Pflersch had come;" and whilst she said so she began putting one of
Herr Pflersch's own wax candles into a brass candlestick. "I have,
however, a favor to ask of you," she continued: "that is, if we ever
happen to meet on the high-road in the Pusterthal, you'll allow me to
recognize you." A humble request indeed, poor soul!

Gertraud came down from the barn to say good-bye to us. The "little
maid" was still lingering, but she added mysteriously, "She'll be
knocking thrice at her mother's door to-morrow."

Walking across the meadows, this time taking a different way from that
by which we had arrived, we met several groups of peasant-men carrying
bundles in their hands, who asked Seppl if the Herr had arrived, and
being answered in the affirmative, they hurried on, as if desirous to
act as Knights of the Round Table to King Pflersch.




CHAPTER VI.