"Hem!" said the old man, when he had hastily skimmed through it--"hem? What has the young gentleman learnt, that he comes dropping, as from the clouds into the back woods in this way?--educated at a university--eh?" Werner answered affirmatively. "And now, all at once, wants to become a farmer?" "A farmer's life has been described to me," replied the other, "by several friends, as most suitable for a German." "Oh, ah! Yes, I dare say!" growled Dr. Wisslock, nodding his head, significantly; "I dare say, picturesque landscape--hanging woods and rocks--creepers and wild vines--bleating herds, and bear's flesh--the usual dream. You'll find out your mistake." "I scarcely think so," said Werner, smiling; "what I have hitherto seen of the country, pleases me much." "You'll think differently when you come to handle the axe and the plough," grumbled the old fellow, by no means more agreeably disposed by this reply. "Here, in the woods, there is no getting on without work, nor without right-down hard work either; we can't buy little niggers and blackamoors, directly. Do you intend to settle?" "It's already done," replied Werner, rather shortly, for the reception of the old man began to displease him. "Already done?" he asked, surprised, as he stopped a pinch of snuff midway to his nose. "Already done! why, how long has the young gentleman been in America, then?" and he opened the letter again, and looked at its date. "Almost a year, and for the last half-year I have been your neighbour, though rather a distant one." "Oh, the deuce!" exclaimed the old man, and a peculiar kind of movement played round the corners of his mouth, "the deuce! Then you're perhaps actually one of the three young Germans who have made such a good start on the Black River?" Werner nodded his head silently. "Very glad to make your acquaintance," continued the old man, becoming very friendly, and even hearty all at once,--"have heard nothing but good report of all of you, and was shortly coming to see you. But be seated, I beg, be seated. So you've carried the introduction about in your pocket for half a year! Hem! why didn't you come to me at once? "I had brought introductions to New York and Philadelphia," replied Werner, "and seeing their result, or rather finding that they had no result, and, as I now feel well enough, could have had none, I laid by the rest of the letters in my box, and indeed shouldn't have delivered this had it not been sealed, and had I not wished besides to make your acquaintance." "Hem--hem!" interjected the old man, and one could read in his looks how pleased he was with the firm, manly behaviour of the young man--"hem--hem! very reasonable that--must dine with me first--afterwards I'll take a ride over with you to the Black River--can sleep there, I suppose--eh? Should like to see your housekeeping there--hem--hem!--three bachelors--eh? Heaven have mercy upon us!--there is but one here, and even with him things are bad enough."