"Mrs. A. L. Wister, through her many translations of novels from the German, has established a reputation of the highest order for literary judgment, and for a long time her name upon the title-page of such a translation has been a sufficient guarantee to the lovers of fiction of a pure and elevating character, that the novel would be a cherished home favorite. This faith in Mrs. Wister is fully justified by the fact that among her more than thirty translations that have been published by Lippincott's there has not been a single disappointment. And to the exquisite judgment of selection is to be added the rare excellence of her translations, which has commanded the admiration of literary and linguistic scholars."--_Boston Home Journal_. * * * * * J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA. THE EICHHOFS A ROMANCE FROM THE GERMAN OF MORITZ VON REICHENBACH BY MRS. A. L. WISTER TRANSLATOR OF "THE SECOND WIFE," "THE OLD MAM'SELLE'S SECRET," "ONLY A GIRL," ETC., ETC. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 1896. * * * * * Copyright, 1881, by J. B. Lippincott & Co. * * * * * CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Shadows of Coming Events II. Two Discontented Fathers III. Hidden Springs IV. Gossip V. Marriage VI. A Farewell Glass and a Death-bed VII. Unexpected VIII. At The Tomb IX. Cloudy Weather at Eichhof X. Found and Lost XI. Thea Rounds her First Promontory XII. Another Promontory Comes In Sight XIII. A Period put to a Long Row of Figures XIV. The Mistress of Eichhof and her Guests XV. In Berlin XVI. Revelations and their Consequences XVII. The Consequences begin to Appear XVIII. An Eventful Day XIX. The Shadows Gather XX. Dr. Nordstedt XXI. Summer Days XXII. A Crisis XXIII. A Short Chapter, with a Far Glance into the Future XXIV. Per Crucem ad Lucem CONCLUSION THE EICHHOFS. CHAPTER I. SHADOWS OF COMING EVENTS. In a box of the Berlin Opera-House sat three young officers. All wore the uniform of the same regiment of the Guards, and all three were directing their opera-glasses towards the same opposite box. "The girl has just got home from boarding-school, and will have a _dot_ of half a million in cash," observed Lieutenant von Hohenstein, dropping his opera-glass.