Uncle Franz, who was growing old, had a young assistant, a certain grand-nephew; and what was more natural than that he should often go and see his relations, to give Philip a promising knot of wood for his carving or carry to his aunt a pair of the rabbits or birds which in the absence of the landgrave, who was growing rather fat for hunting, were the perquisites of the huntsman? It was quite beautiful to see what a dutiful step-nephew (if there be such a relation) Gertrude had found in Louis Rosekranz. And Philip? Philip had grown large and strong, grave and manly. Assisted by an old labourer who had worked for his father, he did most of the labour of the little farm. His aim was to bring the place into the best of order against the time when he should wish to sell it, and meantime to make it produce enough for the support of the family. He had so far succeeded very well. The apple-orchard, pruned and cultivated once more, hung heavy with fruit, and the little vineyard had never been more productive. By degrees everything about the place was put into that state of perfect repair in which it had been Caspar's pride to maintain it. Even the forge was once more in order, and, rented to a responsible and industrious tenant, added its mite to the family revenues. Philip had little time now for his favourite books, and his carving was mostly limited to bowls and spoons of pear-tree and walnut wood, some of them daintily ornamented with leaves and flowers and other devices, which found a ready sale in Fulda and Eisenach. He had made the cross for his little brother's grave and put it up in the churchyard. It was much admired, and before long he found on his hands more orders for crosses and tablets than he could fill in the long winter evenings, which were mostly devoted to this work. He made it a rule to read a few lines every day of the Latin and Greek which he had learned with his uncle—a habit which kept him from forgetting entirely that which he had acquired, and which may be practised with great advantage by people in like circumstances. If he had any regrets or repinings, he kept them to himself or imparted than to nobody but Brother Gotthold, still a frequent visitor at the little stone cottage; and if he entertained any secret ambition, it was still Brother Gotthold who was privy to it. In fact, a very warm and intimate friendship existed between the old man and the young one.