Among his new acquaintances were the families of us boys, and their admiring talk of him was a great satisfaction to us, but we were not able to reveal our relations with him and boast about it, which we should have been so glad to do. My mother said to my father, with a shade of suspicion in her tone –

»There is something strange about him – I can't quite make him out. He is a gentleman – his clothes and his breeding show it; and yet he seems to associate with any kind of characters that come along, Rupert.«

»Yes, that comes out in his talk, Marie,« said my father.

»It is plain that he makes no sort of distinction between Fuchs the rich brewer and Hansel the loafing tinker – just as soon put in his time with the one as with the other.«

»Yes, and not only that, but he speaks of them as if the value of the two was the same – their value to the world and the village.«

»Well,« said my mother with a slight sniff, »maybe that is the right word, though I couldn't see that he attached anything that a body might really describe as value to either of them.«

My father had to grant that that was the correcter way of putting it.

»But he is young,« he added; »in years he is but a youth, and that is the prig-time of life. He will get over it when he is older and has found out something about life and the world. Experience will teach him a lot of things which he doesn't know now.«

My mother reflected a little, then said –

»But is he such a boy, Rupert? He looks it, and all that, but there's times when he doesn't talk like a boy. You said, yourself, that he was curiously well up in the law for such a lad, and that he talked about legal procedure like a person who had played the game.«

Mother had cornered him again. But she was not vain of it, being more or less accustomed to it, and always expecting him to be pretty random and to need watching when he wasn't on the Bench.

»He may be a good deal of a boy, and no doubt he is,« continued my mother, »but I can see that he is a superior one and smart beyond his years. In my opinion he is going to make his way in this world. Particularly if he goes into a profession.«

»He is studying for the ministry,« said my father.

My mother glanced up with interest.

»Orthodox, I suppose?« said she.

»As I understand it – yes.«

»Then he can't marry, and I hope he will not come here too much.«

»Why?«

»Because if I know the signs, our Lilly was interested in him the minute she saw him.«

»Is that so, Marie?«

»Love at first sight if I know the indications.«

»Marie, if your eyes and your instincts have not put you in error, this may be a serious matter.«

»Well, we shall see. Theodor, bring your sister.«

I fetched her, and on the way I told her what the occasion was, for we were loyal comrades and always posted each other when we could and when it might be useful. Mother stated her charge, and Lilly met it frankly and without embarrassment. She said she was interested in Philip Traum.

»Is he interested in you?«

»Ah, as to that, I do not know.«

»What do you think?«

»I think – well, I think he is not.«

»I am very, very glad to hear it, my child, and you will be glad, too, when you learn that he can never marry.«

I thought poor Lilly's cheek lost a little of its color.

»Can... never marry?« she said with a sort of gasp. »Why, mother?« and her eyes lost somewhat of their sparkle.

»Because he is studying for the ministry. He is going to be a priest.«

»That is a mistake, Mütterchen!« and the color came back and the eyes brightened; »he told me so himself.«

»He did, did he? Upon my word the confidences have begun to flow early! So he is not to be a priest. I do not know whether to be glad or sorry.« She looked bothered, and went on talking, with the look in her eyes of one who is thinking aloud without being conscious of it: »So beautiful, – such a gentleman – doubtless rich....« Then she broke out with »I do wish we could know something about him before this thing goes any further. Did he tell you anything about himself?... but that would be worth nothing; it might be all lies, of course.«

»Ah, no – no, mother, you wrong him, indeed you do. He is not capable of telling a lie.«

It took me so unprepared that the laugh was half out before I could stop it; but I turned it into a strangle, and no one knew it was anything but that.

»Oh, of course you would think he couldn't tell a lie, but that is no proof. What did he say about himself? Anything? Where does he live when he is at home?«

»His country seat –«

»He has a country seat... um... well, that is something, anyway. And I must say that his clothes and his style are a sort of – of –«

»Corroborative evidence,« suggested my father, helping her out.

»Yes. Where is his country seat?«

»In Austria or Germany, I think, but he didn't say.«

»What is the name of it?«

»Himmelreich.«

»The Kingdom of Heaven! What a modest name.«

»Blasphemous, you would better say,« said my father, with censure in his voice.

Mother went on questioning, and getting answers, and growing gradually reconciled to the perplexing situation and fortifying herself to entertain the idea of taking Satan into the family in the quality of son-in-law if the worst should come to the worst, so to speak; and finally she said –

»Well, there's one comfort: he is but a child, yet, and so are you; and we shall know all about him long before either of you is old enough to marry. I hope his character is good, and his morals; he seems to have a fair enough nature.«

»Oh, a beautiful nature, mother.«

»Of course you think so, but that is nothing to the point.«

»He is ever so kind-hearted, mother, and admires rattlesnakes.«

Mother came near fainting.

»Ad – mires rattlesnakes! Is he insane?«

»No. But he has read all about them, and admires their noble character.«

»Their noble character – the most infamous beast that crawls! What rubbish is this you are talking?«

»But mother, it is not so unreasonable when he explains it. He says this, to the credit of the rattlesnake: that he never takes advantage of any one, and has none of the instincts of an assassin; that he never strikes without first giving warning, and then does not strike if the enemy will keep his distance and not attack him. Isn't that true of the rattlesnake, papa?«

»Well – yes, it is. I had not thought of it before. The truth is, it is better morals than some men have.«

»I am so glad you think so, papa; it is what he says.«

»Oh, if he says it, that settles it,« said my mother, not well pleased to be caught in the minority.