He smiled and said: “Bavarian estate! I have not the least idea of buying one. I lose enough on the one I bought in Lauenburg, where the purchase money eats up the income of the whole property. How can an estate yield anything when the bushel of corn is sold at the present low price?” He explained this point fully, and then continued: “I told them that long ago and tried to find a remedy. It is ruining our entire agriculture.” I mentioned that I had heard the farmers at Wurzen and farther up in Muldenthal complain of the intolerable competition of the Polish and Hungarian corn, in view of the high wages they have to pay, and that people looked to him for assistance. “Yes,” he said, “there will be no improvement until there is an increase in the railway rates or a duty on corn.” I then turned the conversation once more on the _Grenzboten_, remarking that the publisher put it at his disposal unconditionally, and that I should be able to say whatever I liked in it. I should not, however, be in a position to do this before January or the beginning of February. If he would permit, I then proposed to come from time to time and ascertain his wishes. “That will be a very good arrangement,” he said, “but I do not know whether I shall be back in February. We must first marry our daughter.” I congratulated him. “It is time,” he replied. “She has already had several good offers, but she is an obstinate, capricious creature. You know there was formerly Count Eulenburg, who had absolutely nothing but his salary, and the present one also does not draw more than a thousand thalers a year from his property, which after all is not exactly a large income.” I interjected: “But the Rantzaus were formerly very rich! I believe I read somewhere that they had about seventy estates and houses.” “Formerly,” he replied, “but not now--and moreover he is not the eldest son. But I fancy they can live very well on what they now have and will receive later on.” As we did not appear to have quite settled about the _Grenzboten_ scheme, I returned to it once more, pointing out that my idea was to report myself and request his instructions on occasions of particular importance, domestic crises, foreign complications, &c. I must draw my information from the fountain head, as, although I was on friendly terms with Bucher, I understood that he had no longer much intercourse with the Prince. “Bucher!” he said, “yes; but it is the same with the others since I have got a representative--and Bülow. Altogether I am, in fact, no longer anything more than a Ziska drum.” I suggested: “But I can come at night, like Nicodemus.” “Certainly come. I shall be very glad. But why like Nicodemus? You can also come in the day time.”