The Professor pointed towards the window.
"This wilderness looks tolerably humanized, and a visitor, such as you desire, seems already coming up to the house."
Ilse heard the rumble of wheels coming along the gravel of the castle road. A carriage stopped before the Pavilion, and the country coachman cracked his whip. The servants hastened to the door; Gabriel opened the carriage door; a little lady descended, gave a parcel to the lackey and a bandbox to Gabriel, and called out to the coachman to inquire about putting up the horses. She hastily ascended the steps, and, as she did so, gazed on the paintings and carved scrolls.
"This is a great pleasure, Mrs. Rollmaus," exclaimed Ilse, delighted, meeting her at the door.
The Professor hastened to the stranger and offered her his arm.
"My dear Ilse," cried the little lady; "revered and highly honored Professor, here I am. As Rollmaus has been charged with the superintendence of an estate in the neighborhood, in trust for a nephew, and as he has had to travel into this country to put things in order, and will stop only a short time, I thought I would take the pleasure of paying you a visit. Your father, brothers, and sisters wish to be remembered to you. Clara is growing up the very image of you."
"Come in, come in," said Ilse; "you yourself are the best greeting from home."
Mrs. Rollmaus stopped at the door.
"Only a moment," she said, pointing to the bandbox.
"You come to old friends."