She ordered her coachman to take the carriage home; then she took Marie’s hand and led her down to the lake.

They were soon in the boat.  Marie, who had learned to row from Ludwig, sent the little craft gliding over the water, while Katharina held the rudder.

Very soon they were in the park belonging to the manor; and how delighted Marie was to see everything!

A herd of deer crossed their path, summoned to the feeding-place by a blast from the game-keeper’s horn.  The graceful animals were so tame that a hind stopped in front of the two ladies, and allowed them to rub her head and neck.  Oh, how much there was to see and enjoy over here!

Katharina could hardly keep pace with the eager young girl, who would have liked to examine the entire park at once.

What a number of questions she asked!  And how astonished she was when Katharina told her the large birds in the farm-yard were hens and turkeys.  She had never dreamed that these creatures could be so pretty.  She had never seen them before—­not even a whole one served on the table, only the slices of white meat which Lisette had always cut off for her.  But what delighted her more than anything else was that she might meet people, look fearlessly at them, and be stared at in return, and cordially return their friendly “God give you a good day!”

What a pleasure it was to stop the women and children, with all sorts and shapes of burdens on their heads or in their arms, and ask what they were carrying in the heavy hampers; to call to the peasant girls who were singing merrily, and ask where they had learned the pretty songs.

“Oh, how delightful it is here!” she exclaimed, flinging her arms around the baroness.  “I should like to dig and work in the garden all day long with these merry girls.  How happy I shall be here!”

“To-morrow we will visit the fields,” said Katharina “Can you ride?”

“Ride?” echoed Marie, in smiling surprise.  “Yes—­on a rocking-horse.”

“Then you will very soon learn to sit on a living horse.”

“Do you really believe I shall?” breathlessly exclaimed Marie.

“Yes; I have a very gentle horse which you shall have for your own.”

“One of those dear, tiny little horses from which one could not fall?  I have seen them in picture-books.”

“He is not so very small; but you will not be afraid of falling off when you have learned to ride.  Then, when you can manage your horse, we will ride after the hounds—­”

“No, no,” hastily interposed the young girl; “I shall never do that.  I could not bear to see an animal hurt or killed.”

“You will have to accustom yourself to seeing such sights, my dear little daughter.  Riding and hunting are necessary accomplishments; besides, they strengthen the nerves.”

“Have not the peasant women got strong nerves, little mama?”

“Yes; but they strengthen them by hard work, such as washing clothes.”