Her face was scarlet, and she laughed nervously. Prince
Wolfburgh also laughed, loudly and meaningly. He swore
at the old man and went out into the cloister where his
cousin stood smoking.

"Had enough of the old barracks?" said the captain.

"I found I was making too fast running in there," said
the prince uneasily; "I'll waken up and find that girl
married to me some day."

"Not so bad a dream," puffed his cousin.

"I'll take a train somewhere," said the prince. "But no
matter where I go, I'll find an American old woman with
a girl to marry. They all carry the Hof Kalender
in their pockets, and know every bachelor in Germany."

The captain watched him attentively. "I don't believe
those women inside mean to drive any marriage bargain
with you, Hugo," he said gruffly. "I doubt whether the
little mees would marry you if you asked her. Her dot,
I hear, is e-normous!" waving his hand upward as if to
mountain heights. "And as for beauty, she is a wild
rose!"

Now, there were reasons why the captain should rejoice
when Hugo allied himself to the little mees. On the day
when he would take these hills of gold and wild rose to
himself, the captain would become the head of the house