"In armour, too, as usual?" said Ditlinde, placing the filled tea-pot on its stand and examining her brother. "In uniform as usual, Klaus Heinrich?" He stood with heels together and rubbed his left hand, which was cold, on his chest with his right. "Yes, Ditlinde, I like it, I'd rather. It fits so tight, you see, and it braces me up. Besides, it is cheaper, for a proper civil wardrobe runs into a terrible lot of money, I believe, and Schulenburg is always going on about how dear things are, without that. So I manage with two or three coats, and yet can show myself in my rich relations' houses." "Rich relations!" laughed Ditlinde. "Still some way off that, Klaus Heinrich!" They sat down at the tea-table, Ditlinde on a sofa, Klaus Heinrich on a chair opposite the window. "Rich relations!" she repeated, and the subject obviously excited her. "No, far from it; how can we expect to be rich, where cash is so short and everything is sunk in various enterprises, Klaus Heinrich? And they are young and in the making, they're all in the development stage, as dear Philipp says, and won't bear full fruit till others have succeeded us. But things are improving, that much is true, and I keep the household straight...." "Yes, Ditlinde, you do keep it straight and no mistake!" "Keep it straight, and write everything down and look after the servants, and after all the payments which one's duty to the world demands have been made, there is a nice little sum to put by every year for the children. And dear Philipp.... He sends his greetings, Klaus Heinrich--I forgot, he's very sorry not to be able to be here to-day.... We've only just got back from Hohenried, and there he is already under way, at his office, on his properties--he's small and delicate naturally, but when his peat or his saw-mills are in question he gets red cheeks, and he says himself that he has been much better since he has had so much to do." "Does he say so?" asked Klaus Heinrich, and a sad look came into his eyes, as he looked straight beyond the flower-table at the bright window.... "Yes, I can quite believe that it must be very stimulating to be so really splendidly busy. In my park too the meadows have been mowed a second time this year already, and I love seeing the hay built up in steep heaps with a stick through the middle of each, looking for all the world like a camp of little Indians' huts, and then Schulenburg intends to sell it. But of course that cannot be compared ..." "Oh, you!" said Ditlinde, and drew her chin in. "With you it's quite different, Klaus Heinrich! The next to the throne! You are called to other things, I imagine. My goodness, yes! You enjoy your popularity with the people...." They were silent for a while. Then he said: