The old Miller stopped his mill and locked it up while this went on. He had learnt wisdom, for he had known the times when the rollicking townspeople had come in a body and played practical jokes with his sacks of corn. For the nights were so warm and light and they invented all manner of diversions. The rich Chamberlain in his young days had once with his very own hands carried an ant-heap in a trough into the mill and left it there. Now the Chamberlain was well on in years but Otto his son still came to the Castle and found strange ways of amusing himself. Many tales were told about him.... The sound of hoofs and shouting come through the wood. The young people were out for a ride and the Castle horses were glossy and fresh. The party came up to the Miller's house, knocked with their whips and wanted to ride in. The door was so low and yet they wanted to ride in. "Good day, good day," they cried. "We came to say how d'ye do." The Miller laughed obsequiously at the joke. Then they dismounted, tied up their horses and started the mill. "The hopper's empty!" yelled the Miller. "You'll smash up the mill." But nobody heard him in the roar. "Johannes!" shouted the Miller with the full force of his lungs in the direction of the quarry. Johannes came. "They're grinding up my millstones," his father cried, pointing. Johannes went quietly towards the group. He was fearfully pale and the veins on his temples grew bigger. He recognized Otto, the Chamberlain's son, who was in cadet's uniform; there were two others besides him. One of them smiled a greeting to smooth things over. Johannes made no sound or sign, but went on. He was making straight for Otto. At that moment he saw two ladies on horseback coming out of the wood; one of them was Victoria. She had on a green habit and was riding the white mare from the Castle. She did not get off, but sat watching them all with questioning eyes. Then Johannes altered his course; he turned off, went up on the weir and opened the sluice; the noise gradually subsided, the mill stopped. Otto called out: "No, let it go on. What are you doing that for? Let the mill go on, I tell you." "Was it you who started the mill?" asked Victoria. "Yes," he answered with a laugh. "What's it stopped for? Why mayn't it go on?" "Because it's empty," answered Johannes, with a catch in his breath, looking at him. "Do you understand? The mill is empty." "It was empty, do you hear?" Victoria repeated. "How was I to know that?" asked Otto laughing. "Why was it empty I want to know. Wasn't there any corn in it?" "Get up again!" broke in one of his companions, to put an end to it. They mounted. One of them apologized to Johannes before they rode off. Victoria was the last. When she had gone a little way she turned her horse and came back. "You must please ask your father to excuse this," she said. "It would have been more proper if the Cadet had done that himself," answered Johannes.