“Certainly, I will say that we will take the best care of him that we can.”

“Oh, yes, Pixy will be all right, but my beautiful, bright gold-piece which—­”

“Have you begun to sing that old song again?” exclaimed Franz.  “You have been robbed of your money, and you are robbing us of pleasure!”

“Oh yes, you can talk of pleasure, but I—­”

“Listen, my boy,” said his aunt, “worrying will not bring your pocketbook back, and you must not lose this beautiful afternoon in grieving; but go out and see something of the city.  My old friend and cousin, Gotfried Braun, is coming to go with you and will point out places of interest.  He knows them all for he has lived in Frankfort all his life, and will give you the history of them.”

“I am real glad.  I love to see and hear of historic places,” said Paul, and he had scarcely finished speaking when the old gentleman stepped in and was greeted as a loved friend.

“All the young people of his acquaintance call him Uncle Braun, and I think he will be pleased to have my boys call him that, will you not, cousin?” she enquired, turning to the old man.

“I certainly will, and now let us set out, for we have much to see.”

“Can I take Pixy, Uncle Braun?” asked Fritz.

“Yes, you can take him, for we are not going into any buildings to-day, but when we visit them he cannot go unless he wears jacket and trousers and walks upright.”

Fritz was jubilant over this and the three rushed for their hats, and they were off.  Mrs. Steiner, standing upon the porch, looked after them until they were out of sight.

“Thank good Braun that I can stay at home this afternoon for I have many things to do that cannot be put off any longer,” she said to herself, as she set to work to put the place in order and then go out to buy things to cook for supper.

CHAPTER VI

A WHOLE DAY OF SIGHT-SEEING

The four descended the steps, Fritz leading Pixy, and were soon in the main streets of the city, where the constant hurrying of feet and the rush of traffic was a continual subject of wonder to the country boys.  In the windows of the large stores they saw so many things that were new to them, some of them from foreign countries, that they could scarcely move on and Uncle Braun waited patiently, answering innumerable questions.

“Is this the first time that you have ever seen diamonds, pearls and other precious gems?” he asked when they remained long at the windows of a large jewelry store.

“Yes,” Fritz replied, “our parents have none, nor have our neighbors.  Oh, how beautiful they are! and just see the price that is upon the earrings.”

“Yes, ten thousand marks.”

“Ten thousand marks,” echoed Franz.  “Why, that would buy a house and garden in the Odenwald.”

“Does any person except queens and other royal people wear such things?” asked Paul.