“Mother! mother!” he cried, his eyes full of tears, stretching out his arms to the sky. Then, suddenly, a strange change came over him. He felt quite happy and free, the heavy load which had weighed on his mind all these years had vanished, and, with a deep breath, he drew his hands along his shoulders and arms, as though he longed to rid himself of the sinking fetters. “There,” he cried, like one from whose heart a burden is taken, “now I have nothing more, now I need care no longer. I am free, free as the birds in the air.” He hit his forehead with his fists, he cried, he laughed. He felt as if an undeserved, unheard of happiness had descended upon him from heaven. “Mother! mother!” he shouted, wild with joy. “Now I know how your fairy tale ends. I am released! I am released!” At this moment the frightened lowing of the cattle fell upon his ear, and brought him back to his senses. “No, you poor animals shall not perish on my account,” he cried, springing up, “I would rather die myself.” He hurried to the back door of the house, where the servants were eagerly carrying out the furniture. “Look at master!” they exclaimed, weeping, and drew each other’s attention to his bare feet. “Leave that alone!” he cried. “Save the animals!” An axe lay on the path. With it he broke open the back door of the stables, which led into the fields, for the yard was already a sea of flames. As in a dream he sees how the garden and field are filling with people. The village fire engine comes rattling along, the road to Helenenthal, too, becomes alive. Three, four times he rushes into the flames, the servants behind him, then he sinks down, fainting with pain, in the middle of the burning stables. A shriek, a piercing shriek from a woman, causes him to open his eyes once more. Then it seemed to him as if he saw Elsbeth’s face vanishing in mist over his head, then it was night again round him.... CHAPTER XXI At the first streak of dawn a sad procession went across the autumnal heath, on the way to Helenenthal. Two miserable wagons crept slowly, one behind the other. In them was found room for all that remained of the Haidehof. In the first wagon, wrapped in blankets among the straw, lay the master, terribly burned, unconscious ... The pale, trembling woman who anxiously bent over him was the playfellow of his youth. In this state she fetched him home at last. “We will take him to one of his sisters,” Mr. Douglas had said but she had laid her hands on Paul’s breast, from which the singed rags hung down, as if she wanted to take possession of him for evermore, and had answered: “No, father, he is coming with us.” “But your wedding, child--the guests?” “What is the wedding to me?” she replied, and the gay bridegroom stood by stupefied. In the second cart lay the few pieces of furniture which had been saved: an old chest of drawers, a few drawers with linen and books and ribbons, earthen ware dishes, a milk pail, and his father’s long pipe.