have some wolf-hunting together. My brother
has a rare pack of hounds. Have you told
your friend to expect you?"

"Oh no," answered Carl. "I reserved to
myself the privilege of accepting anything by
the way, I might meet with more attractive;
and I would rather go to Kronenthal with
you, who have asked me to accompany you
there so often. But your brother—what
will he say to the presence of a stranger on
an occasion when none but friends are usually
present?"

"Ernst will make you heartily welcome;
besides you are not so great a stranger to him
as you may think. I have often spoken of
you to him in my letters, and he generally
asks after my friend Carl, the eccentric young
Englishman."

"Too bad of you, Eric," said Carl: "I dare
say you have given him a fine character
of me."

"I have told him, Carl," said Eric, laying
his hand on his friend's arm, as they both
stood near the fire, "what you are to me, my
dearest, best, and truest friend. Ah, Carl!
many a time but for your encouraging voice
prompting me to fresh efforts, I should have
despaired of myself. It was you, and you
only, who enabled me to battle with the
arduous trials which beset my path as an
artist, and now—"

"And now, dear Eric, you are what you
would always have become, with me or without
me, not only an artist heart and soul, but
one who possesses the power to render
ideas visible. And this, owing solely to your
own undaunted courage, energy, perseverance,
and strong faith in yourself, under and
through great difficulties. But, come, what
do you say to some dinner? I am furiously
hungry. What a keen air one breathes in
these night rides."

"By all means let us have something to
eat, Carl; but it must only be a hasty
snatch, for we have another ride before us.
I want to get to Kronenthal to-night. Ernst
is to send his travelling sleigh for me. It
will be a glorious ride by this glorious moonlight.
The distance is but three leagues."

"Don't go to-night, Eric, it is so comfortable
here, and I had made up my mind
to remain here to-night. It is cold out
there, and I am tired; I have come a good
long distance to-day."

"Don't have one of your lazy fits, Carl;
we will have something to eat, and after that
you will be all ready for a fresh start. I
know you Englishmen; you are something
like your own horses; there is nothing like
a good feed for putting your mettle up."

So the young men rang the bell; and the
waiter appearing, something to eat was
ordered to appear as quickly as possible.
Whilst it was being prepared, a cloth, which
rivalled the snow outside, was spread on a
table, drawn up close to the fire; and the
young men chatted as young men do, who
have lived together the rich artist-life of
classical Rome.

"By the way," said Eric, interrupting
himself, "waiter, can you tell me whether any
message has arrived from Kronenthal for
me, from Baron Ernst Walderthorn?"

"I cannot say, honoured sir," replied the
waiter; "I will inquire of Herr Wirkmann,
the landlord."

"Do," said Eric, and the waiter vanished,
to re-appear presently, ushering in no less a
personage than Herr Wirkman himself, whose
bald polished head shone again in the bright
light of the blazing fire.

"Noble sirs," said he, bowing low to the
two young men, "to whom shall I give the
letter, directed to the hands of the well-born
Eric Walderthorn, arrived to-day from the
honourable castle of Kronenthal?"

"To me, worthy Herr Wirkmann. I am
Eric Walderthorn. So the sleigh is here,
mine host?" said Eric, after reading the
letter.

"Yes, honoured sir, and will be ready
whenever your excellency chooses to order
it."

"Then let it be made ready at once," said
Eric, and the landlord withdrawing, the
young men sat down, and discussed, with keen
relish, the excellent production of the kitchen
  of mine host of the Geldernstern, worthy
Herr Wirkmann.

In less than half an hour, they again stood
at the door of the hotel, wrapped up in their
cloaks and furs. Before the door, a sleigh was
drawn up, well-lined with skins of the reindeer:
while two huge black bearskins lay all
ready to form the outer wrappings of the
travellers. Two fine grey horses, evidently
of the English breed, pawed the ground
impatiently, and snorted, anxious to be off.
Their crimson body cloths, ornamented with
silver, sparkled in the bright moonlight,
and the silver bells which hung from their
head-gear, filled the rarefied air with fairy-
like music every time they tossed their
heads.

"What a pretty turn-out," said Carl,
biting off the end of his cigar previous to
lighting it; "I give your brother credit for
his taste, Eric."

"Ernst is a fine fellow every way," replied
Eric, "and you will say so when you know
him, Carl. Herr landlord, are the pistols
put in?"

"Yes, honoured sir, they are here," replied
the landlord, pointing to the holsters fastened
on each side of the reversed dashing-board.

"All right," said Eric.

"Pistols! do we expect to meet robbers?"
said Carl, laughing,

"The wolves have been very troublesome
this winter, honoured sir," returned the landlord;
"but since the last grand hunt to
which his excellency's brother, the noble
baron, treated them, they have not been
quite so obstreperous."