I took the money from her, and promised to send it to Carl whenever he should need it, through my son-in-law the Colonel.
"And how is the great lady?" said the old spinner. "She ought to have married my Carl--she always looked at him with so much favor; and if he were now married, he would not have to go to war."
His mother's words were unintelligible to me, and it was with a sad smile that Carl interpreted them.
"Why have you not told her about Marie?"
"I have done so, but she wishes to know nothing about her."
Ludwig, accompanied by Ikwarte, started towards the Rhine. He said that he did not yet know how he could take part in the war, as he was an American citizen; but he was resolved not to remain a quiet spectator.
Carl's parting from his mother was heart-rending. She refused to get on our wagon, and Carl, with tears in his eyes, lifted her in his arms and placed her there. During the greater part of our journey home, she bewailed the loss of her son, and we drove on in silence, for we felt so sad that we could not utter a word.
Martella was the first to speak, saying, "It is, after all, the greatest happiness to have a mother."
I could well understand what it was that agitated her.
Up at the top of the mountain, where we always stopped to rest our horses, there is a large and shady beech-tree, to which was fastened the image of a saint.