"It would be very kind of you to join us."
"I am only afraid that I might be in the way."
"Oh, no; certainly not," said the mother and daughter together, and
Herr Ellrich nodded encouragingly.
Wilhelm felt that the invitation was meant cordially, and his fear
of obtruding himself overcome, he accepted.
Circumstances at the castle very greatly favored Wilhelm's
intercourse with the Ellrich's, or rather with Loulou. In this house
on the summit of the hill they met constantly in close
companionship. Frau Ellrich enjoyed nothing better than walking on
the arm of this handsome young man up and down the wooded slopes, as
till now she had been obliged to go without such escort. Herr
Ellrich liked to take his holiday in a different way from the
ladies. If he felt obliged to take exercise he would borrow the
landlord's gun and dogs and shoot. At other times he would lie down
anywhere on a plaid on the grass, smoke a cigar, and read foreign
papers like the Times from beginning to end. The afternoon was taken
up by a nap, and in the evening he would be ready to hear an account
of how his family had spent the day--perhaps in a long carriage
excursion through the neighboring valleys.
Frau Ellrich was in the habit of appearing at the first table
d'hote, and then doing homage to the peaceful custom of afternoon
sleep.
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