People were up and down stairs; the whole house was in commotion; all were making a noise and bustle about the morrow's great festival. The mother, as the most active, was also the most joyful. The bride heeded nothing, but retired, meditating her destiny, into her own chamber. They were still expecting the son, the captain and his wife, and two elder daughters with their husbands. Meanwhile Leopold, a younger son, was mischievously busy in increasing the noise and disorder, perplexing every thing, while he pretended to further it. Agatha, his still unmarried sister, endeavoured to make him reasonable, and to persuade him to meddle with nothing, and to leave the others in peace. But the mother said: "Do not disturb him in his folly; for to-day more or less of it does not signify. Therefore I only beg you all that, as I have already so much to think of, you will not trouble me about any thing that is not absolutely necessary. If the china should be broken, or some of the silver spoons be lost, or the strangers' servants break the windows,--with such trifles do not vex me by recounting them. When these days of disquiet are over, then we will have a reckoning." "You are right, mother," said Leopold; "these are sentiments worthy of a governor. Also, if some of the maids should break their necks--or the cook get drunk, and set the chimney on fire--the butler, for joy, let the malmsey run or be drunk out,--you shall hear nothing of such childish tricks. But if an earthquake should overturn the house,--that, dearest mother, it would be impossible to keep secret." "When will he ever become wiser?" said the mother. "What will thy sisters think, when they find thee again quite as foolish as they left thee two years ago?" "They must do my character the justice," replied the lively youth, "that I am not so changeable as they or their husbands, who, in a few years, have so very much altered, and not to their advantage." The bridegroom now entered, and inquired for the bride. Her maid was sent to call her. "My dear mother," said he, "has Leopold made known to you my request?" "That I cannot tell," she replied; "for, amid the disorder now in the house, one can scarcely retain a reasonable thought." The bride entered, and the young people saluted each other with joy. "The request I meant," continued the bridegroom, "is, that you would not take it ill if I brought yet another guest into your house, which, in truth, is, for these days, too full already." "You know yourself," said the mother, "that, spacious as the house is, I could hardly find another chamber." "Nevertheless," exclaimed Leopold, "I have partly provided for that, by having the large room in the back of the house put in order." "Why, that is not commodious enough," replied the mother; "for many years it has been only used as a lumber-room."