The young future lord, who had just finished his ham and eggs, and was now turning with unappeased appetite to the wurst, was apparently greatly surprised at having his opinion asked. Such a thing happened so seldom that he was now thrown into a spell of deep musing, declaring as the result of it:
"Yes; I shall probably have to marry some time, but mamma will find me a wife when the time comes."
"That she will, my boy," affirmed Frau von Eschenhagen. "That is my affair; you do not need to worry about it at all. You will remain here in Burgsdorf, where I shall have you under my eyes. Universities and travels are not to be considered--that is decided."
She threw a challenging glance at her brother, but he was regarding with a kind of horror the enormous amount of eatables which his nephew was piling upon his plate for the second time.
"Do you always have such a healthy appetite, Willy?" he asked.
"Always," assured Willy with satisfaction, taking another huge piece of bread and butter.
"Yes; God be thanked, we do not suffer from indigestion here," said Frau Regine, somewhat pointedly. "We deserve our meals honestly. First play and work, then eat and drink, and heartily--that keeps soul and body together. Just look at Willy, how he has prospered with that treatment. He need never be ashamed to be seen."
She slapped her brother upon the shoulder in a friendly manner at these words, but so heartily that Wallmoden hastily pushed his chair out of her reach. His face betrayed plainly that his hair was "standing on end" again; but he gave up the enforcing of his rights as guardian in the face of these primitive conditions.
Willy, on the contrary, apparently discovered that he had turned out extraordinarily well, and looked very pleased at this praise of his mother, who continued now rather vexedly:
"And Hartmut has not come to breakfast again! He seems to allow himself all sorts of irregularities here at Burgsdorf, but I shall lecture the young man when he comes, and make him----"