Princess Christel was about to reply, but Rand intercepted her and said-- “Your Highness is always right; of course we’ll have a Bellmandur! All people of degree have a Bellmandur except us!” And his Serene Highness said: “Rand is right.” And so they drove into Neu-Brandenburg. Having reached this pearl of his possessions, and coming up in fine style on the market-place, he called out of the gilt carriage: “Rand, tell Jochen Boenhas to stop!” And with that he and his sister Christel descended from the coach, and Rand from the box, and the three lackeys from their seat, and the two runners stood panting. And then said his Serene Highness Adolf Friedrich IV.: “This suits us right well, and here we will build our palace!” Her Highness Sister Christel opened her mouth to say something, but his Highness the liege lord took the words out of her mouth and said: “Princess Christel, what more would your Grace have? Are you still critical? Look yonder.” For the time being he was surrounded by a circle of his most devoted subjects, and though these were mostly small street urchins, he felt constrained thereby to speak High German to his sister. “Look, yonder, by the side of the mansion-house, we’ll put it up.” And Princess Christel said: “_Cela me convient!_ And I hope your Highness will have a couple of wings put on, and I will go and live in one of them.” “That’s just what you won’t do, Sister Christel,” said his most Serene Highness, turning on his heel. “Don’t make plans, and then they won’t miscarry! I don’t want any womankind with their chit-chat and nonsense in this new palace. I’ve had a deal too much of that at Neu-Strelitz. Rand!” he called; “go and find the two Burgomasters; and you,” he said to two of the footmen, “go and cite the aldermen; tell them _I_ wish to consult them, _I_, their liege lord. You are to stay here,” he said to the third lackey; “it will not do to strip ourselves entirely of attendance.” And thereupon he walked up and down with his sister, and did not so much as notice that she made a wry face and protruded her nether-lip; and the lackey trotted behind them. _Fritz Reuter_ (1810-1874). _HIS SERENITY AND THE THUNDER-STORM._ ON his way to school the Konrektor felt so cheery and good-natured that his pupils might have expected to have a good day. As he stepped into the schoolroom he had the pleasant surprise of seeing a complete Roman battle before him, which his precious boys were carrying out in honour of Livy, and probably to give him an unexpected pleasure, and the noise they made was as natural as if the room were full of genuine Roman soldiers and genuine horses.