manor-house floated, rocking gently, on the bosom of the water. Then
he suddenly started on his way again.

His road now led almost steeply down the mountain-side, so that the
trees that had once stood below him again gave him their shade, but at
the same time cut off from him the view of the lake, which only now
and then peeped out between the gaps in the branches.

Soon the way went gently upwards again, and to left and right the
woods disappeared, yielding place to vine-clad hills stretching along
the pathway; while on either side stood fruit-trees in blossom, filled
with the hum of the bees as they busily pried into the blossoms. A
tall man wearing a brown overcoat advanced to meet the traveller. When
he had almost come up to him, he waved his cap and cried out in a loud
voice:

"Welcome, welcome, brother Reinhard! Welcome to my Immensee estate!"

"God's greeting to you, [Footnote: This form of salutation is
especially common in the south of Germany.] Eric, and thank you for
your welcome," replied the other.

By this time they had come up close to one another, and clasped hands.

"And is it really you?" said Eric, when he at last got a near sight of
the grave face of his old school-fellow.

"It is I right enough, Eric, and I recognize you too; only you almost
look cheerier than you ever did before."