luxuries as wall-paper, paintings or carpet could not be found here.
Evidently the occupants were contented to live on just as their
ancestors had done, although Burgsdorf was one of the richest estates in
the district.

The appearance of the mistress of the house was in keeping with her
surroundings She was forty years old or there abouts, with a large,
strong figure, cheeks glowing with health, and firm, solid features,
which could never have been called beautiful, but denoted great energy.
Very little escaped the sharp glance of her gray eye, her dark hair was
brushed back smoothly, her gown was of coarse texture, simply made, and
looking at her hands, you saw at once that they were made for work.

There was nothing attractive in her appearance, and her manner and
bearing were thoroughly masculine.

The heir and future master of Burgsdorf, who had just been reprimanded
so sharply, sat opposite his mother, listening, as in duty bound, while
he helped himself liberally to ham and eggs. He was a handsome,
fresh-looking youth, about seventeen years old, whose appearance
indicated no great intellectual strength, but he seemed to beam with
good nature. His sun-burned face was the picture of health, but
otherwise he showed little resemblance to his mother. He lacked her
energetic expression, and the blue eyes and blonde hair were not from
her, but were an inheritance from his father. With his large, but very
awkward limbs, he looked like a young giant, and formed a striking
contrast to his more delicately formed, aristocratic looking uncle,
Wallmoden, who sat next him, and who said now with a slight _soupcon_ of
irony in his tone: "You certainly cannot hold Willibald answerable for
all these mad pranks; he certainly is a model son."