"Have you come straight out of the water, Captain Schmidt? They are getting frightened about you in here. Make haste and come in. We must be off at once." "I had thought of remaining here," said Reinhold. Elsa's laugh was checked. She made a step towards Reinhold: "I wish you would come with us. You must." She disappeared into the passage which led on the right to the kitchen and the children's room. Had it been jest or earnest? Her voice had trembled so oddly at the words, and her large eyes had shone so strangely! The door opened; the General appeared on the threshold, with the two other gentlemen behind him. "Ah, Captain Schmidt!" said the General. "At last!" exclaimed the President. "You must tell us by-and-by where you have been hiding. This is Captain Schmidt, Count Golm. You are ready, I suppose, Fräulein von Werben?" "I am ready," said Elsa, who, in hat and cloak, accompanied by the farmer's wife, appeared again in the entrance. "I think we are all ready, are we not, Captain Schmidt?" "At your orders," answered Reinhold. "Well, then, good-bye, dear Frau Pölitz! a thousand, thousand thanks for your kindness! and as to the children, you must really send for the doctor, or you will wear yourself to death." Elsa had spoken the last words so loud, that the Count could not but hear them. "Are your children ill, Frau Pölitz?" he asked. "Very ill," answered Elsa. "And Frau Pölitz declares that she cannot expect the doctor to come so far. "I will myself send from Golmberg to Prora," said the Count hastily: "of course; depend upon it Frau Pölitz! the doctor shall be here to-night--to-night!" "Then we will not lose another moment," cried Elsa, hastening to lead the way to the carriage. CHAPTER VII. The Count had made his arrangements very comfortably. A groom with a lantern rode in front; next came the close carriage, in which the General, Elsa, and the President took their seats; then a dogcart with himself and Reinhold; finally a small luggage-cart for the servants, who were joined by his own man. In the luggage-cart they were very cheerful. "Do you always carry so much baggage with you?" asked the Count's servant, giving the carpet-bag a contemptuous kick. "The rest is on board ship still," answered Johann; "but the President never takes much with him; little and good is what he says." "Just like my General," said August; "it is always the case with us military men. In France we had only one trunk from first to last." "We had six," said the Count's servant. "Were you there too, then?" "Of course, as knights of St. John." "That is a fine thing!" "It was very fine for me!" cried the man. "I would go again to-morrow: wine and women to one's heart's content. My master knows what is what, I can tell you. I should not stay six weeks with a man like your General."