"Yes, on two conditions. One is that I may follow in my canoe--" "But not keep very near to me?" "Of course not. The second condition is that in daylight thou wilt not swim beyond those willows which conceal the cove. Only on moonlight evenings mayest thou venture into the open lake." "But why may not I venture by daylight?" "Because a telescope does not enable one to distinguish features after night. Other people may have a telescope, like myself." "Who would have one in this village?" "The manor has a new occupant. A lady has taken possession there." "A lady? Is she pretty?" "She is young." "Didst thou see her through the telescope? What kind of hair has she got?" "Blonde." "Then she must be very pretty. May I take a look at her some time?" "I am afraid thou mightest fall in love with her; for she is very beautiful, and very good." "How dost thou know she is good?" "Because she visits the sick and the poor, and because she goes regularly to church." "Why do we never go to church?" "Because we profess a different belief from that acknowledged by those persons who attend this church." "Do they pray to a different God from ours?" "No; they pray to the same God." "Then why should n't we all go to the same church?" Unable longer to control himself, Ludwig took the shrewd little child-head between his hands, and said tenderly: "My darling! my little queen! not all the synods of the four quarters of the globe could answer thy questions--let alone this poor forgotten soldier!" "There! thou always pretendest to be stupid when I want to borrow a little bit of thy wisdom. Thou art like the rich man who tells the beggar that he has no money. By the way, I must not forget that I always send money to the poor children on my birthday. Come, tell me which of the heaps I shall send to-day--these small coins, or these large ones? If thou thinkest I ought to send these little yellow ones, I have no objections. I think I prefer to keep the white coins, they have such a musical sound; besides, they have the image of the Virgin. If thou thinkest I ought to send some of the large red ones, too, I will do so." The "little yellow ones" were gold sovereigns; the "white coins" were silver _Zwanziger_; and the "large red ones" were copper medals of the Austrian minister of finance, worth half a guilder. "We will send some of the small coins and some of the large ones," decided Ludwig, smiling at the little maid's ignorance of the value of the money. CHAPTER III