"Yes, straight on," answered the man touching his slouch hat.

"Is it still far off?"

"You are close to the place, sir. In less time than it takes to smoke
half a pipe of tobacco you'll be at the lake side, and the manor is
hard by."

The farmer passed on while the other quickened his pace as he went
along under the trees. After a quarter of an hour's walk the shade to
the left of him suddenly came to an end; the road led along a steep
slope from which the ancient oaks growing below hardly reared their
topmost branches.

Away over their crests opened out a broad, sunny landscape. Far below
lay the peaceful, dark-blue lake, almost entirely surrounded by green
sun-lit woods, save where on one spot they divided and afforded an
extensive view until it closed in the distant blue mountains.

Straight opposite, in the middle of all this forest verdure, there lay
a patch of white, like driven snow. This was an expanse of blossoming
fruit-trees, and out of them, up on the high lake shore, rose the
manor-house, shining white, with tiles of red. A stork flew up from
the chimney, and circled slowly above the waters.

"Immensee!" exclaimed the traveller.

It almost seemed as if he had now reached the end of his journey, for
he stood motionless, looking out over the tops of the trees at his
feet, and gazing at the farther shore, where the reflection of the