brother's remark. "And so you have come to your breakfast at last,
Hartmut. But laggards get nothing to eat; did you know that?"

"Yes, I know that," replied Hartmut, quite undisturbed, "so I got my
breakfast some time ago from the housekeeper. You can't starve me, Aunt
Regine. I stand on too good a footing with your people."

"And so you think you can do as you please and go unpunished," cried the
irate lady. "Break all the rules of the house, leave no one and nothing
in peace, and stand all Burgsdorf on its head; but I'll soon stop all
this business, my lad. To-morrow I'll send a messenger over to your
father requesting him to come and take home his son who knows neither
punctuality nor obedience."

The threat had its effect. The youth was frightened, and thought it well
to surrender at discretion.

"Oh, you are only jesting; shall I not enjoy my short vacation with--"

"With all manner of folly?" Frau von Eschenhagen added for him. "Will
has not done so much mischief in all his life as you have accomplished
in the last three days, and you'll spoil him with your bad example and
lead him into all manner of misdoing."

"Oh, Will is not the kind to be spoiled. I could not do it if I tried,"
said Hartmut very warmly.

The young heir, who certainly did not look as if he could be led into
any impropriety, ate on, untroubled by these personal allusions, until
he had finished the last slice of bread on the table; but his mother was