Three unusual houses, or castles, stand in a corner of the forest.

The first house is on a mountainside. It is built of reddish stone, with touches of soft pink here and there, at its corners are great round towers, and the windows and gates have curved arches and are framed in snow-white stone. Descending from the house is a garden, a sort of ruin, with a number of buildings in it. Beyond the garden the mountain divides into two hills, like two green cushions, which slope toward the valley. And atop each of the cushions sit the other two houses. They are built exactly like the first, only smaller, and one is built entirely of the white stone, the other entirely of the red.

These three houses are called the Sentzes. The white one is called the white Sentze, the red one the red Sentze, and the highest one the striped Sentze. There are no other houses nearby. Behind them rises the forest, before them the rolling slope tumbles to the valley, between and beside them water rushes along the streambeds, and down below, thickets fill the valley floor. Houses belonging to the town of Wermelin, or Werblin in the local dialect, come into view further to the left upon leaving the Sentzes.

Little about the houses has been passed on from olden times. It is said that a man built the old fortress when the woods were still wild. He had two sons who quarreled constantly. One day he said, "Judas betrayed the Savior with a kiss and that was the worst deed ever committed on earth. You must kiss each other once and from then on neither of you may harm the other, lest there be another kiss of Judas in the world."

The brothers kissed each other at a suitable time and then were so afraid of the kiss of Judas that they never feuded again, indeed, they often worked together for good. This tale was passed on through the Sentze lineage, because many of the descendants were quarrelsome, the act was repeated, over time it became a custom and at last even a law. The adversaries could refuse the kiss, they had the right to do so; but once the kiss was given, they were bound to keep the peace. Later, a document was drawn up stating which circumstances called for the kiss, and when such circumstances occurred, the document was presented for reading or was read aloud. There is no evidence regarding whether any of the Sentzes ever broke the contract established by the kiss.

Time passed, and only one father with two sons remained of the lineage. The sons were at odds; nevertheless, they gave each other the covenant kiss, and once the father died, neither son wanted to occupy the fortress, lest he offend the other. One built for himself the red fortress, modelled on the red color of the old house, and the other the white one, modelled on the white frames. They held the old house in common. At another time, only a young gentleman from one branch of the family tree and a young lady from another branch were left. They gave each other the kiss, then did not despise each other, indeed married each other, lived together very lovingly, and numerous Sentzes descend from them, divided into a great many branches. Because the kiss was able not only to forestall discord, but also to foster love, the Sentzes separated it into two species. The kiss of love they called the first species of kiss, or simply the first kiss, and the kiss of peace they called the second species of kiss, or simply the second kiss. The Sentzes claimed that they descended from the ancient lineage of the Palsentzes or that they were in fact themselves that lineage, and that Huoch de Palsentze, witness to the charter of the Seitenstätten monastery on April 24th of the year 1109, was one of their ancestors, indeed that this Huoch was the same one who, as Huoch de Palsentze, together with his brother Roudpred, attested a donation by the nobleman Rapoto de Movsilischirchen to the prince-bishopric of Passau in the year 1110, and these brothers were the ones who first gave the kiss of Sentze. It was said that later, through the corruption of language, the name Palsentze was reduced to Sentze, which ought, it was said, to be put to rights. However that may be, one thing is certain: in the lineage of the Sentzes, the names Huoch, Rupert, Walchon, Erkambert, Itha, Hiltiburg, Azela, appear again and again, as they did among the earlier Palsentzes, to which the numerous documents that have accumulated in the three houses up to our present day bear witness. The Sentzes were wealthy or became wealthy. In addition to the three houses and their attached lands, they possess yet other properties, acquired through purchase or trade or some other means, which they have rebuilt in many different ways. In recent times, they have resided now in the family fortresses, now in other castles, often in some pleasant city, often abroad.

We share the following from the last records of the white house:

On the thirteenth day of the month of April in the year 1846, I had my twenty-fifth birthday, the day of my majority. In the morning I dressed carefully in my bedroom and proceeded to the living room. Unbeknownst to me, the table, inlaid with a pattern of leaves, had been covered with a brown velvet cloth during the night. On the velvet lay beautifully bound books. They were a collection of all of old German poetry. Joseph entered and said that Father wished to invite me to breakfast. I went into Father's room. He was festively attired. He stood when I entered, approached me and kissed me on the forehead. His eyes were wet. I dried my own and kissed his right hand. Then we breakfasted in near silence. Afterward, Father said, "Come to the parlor at ten o'clock, if you are able. I would like to discuss some matters with you."

I answered, "I shall come."

Then we went our separate ways.

I stepped into the parlor at ten o'clock. The dust covers and sheets had been removed from the furniture, which stood as if untouched. Father entered immediately after me. He sat down in the great carved armchair and gestured to another for me. Once we were both seated, he spoke. "Today you are twenty-five years old and have come of age according to the custom of our house. You have not disputed this accounting, nor would the laws condone your doing so. Once we have brought today's festivities to an end, I shall hand over to you the inheritance to which you are now entitled, as well as the accounts which I, as your guardian, have kept. Now I must discuss another matter with you. Ever since Walchon and I both hoped to marry the same lovely lady, ever since we gave each other the kiss of peace and kept it by renouncing that hope, ever since we each buried our lady wives, we have often said to each other, 'Just as once none but a youth and a maid remained of our lineage, just as they wed and our family tree blossomed, so now our two children are the last of the family; if only things could be as they once were and new flowers could bud and blossom.' My son, I ask of you, go this year to cousin Laran in Vienna and visit Hiltiburg. You got along well as children, perhaps you will again after so long apart, perhaps even more and a marriage will follow, in accord with your fathers' fondest wish. Then visit Walchon. He is in the gray Sentze and occupies himself with his special study of mosses. This is what I wanted to ask of you."

Father ended his speech and I answered, "I shall gladly go to Hiltiburg and gladly to her father. Would you and Walchon still wish us to marry if, despite getting along well, even more than well, we do not desire to wed?"

"No, my son," said Father, "for that would be like Judas, which is so despised by our lineage. If it turns out as you say, remain dear relations and seek your hearts' fulfillment elsewhere, come what may. Your mother would think the same, were she still living."

After these words, we spoke further of various unimportant matters and then parted.

I pondered Father's words for several days. Then I wrote to Hiltiburg, "Honored lady, dear cousin! I intend to visit you in Vienna in the coming winter. Our fathers hope that we shall develop an affection for each other that will lead to a marriage. If I sense this affection for you, if you are able to sense this affection for me as well, I shall be glad. But do not think that I am coming to Vienna with the intent to marry you. You are as free as if I were a stranger to you and you had never heard of me. I am writing this to you so that everything is clear between us. Beyond that, I remain your affectionate little Rupert, although now I am a big one."

After seven days, I received the answer, "Dear little Rupert! It is always clear to me that I act in accord with my judgment. Your letter was unnecessary. Yet it gladdened me. You have quite lovely handwriting. I await your arrival and remain your affectionate little Hiltiburg, who is now also a big one."

I placed the letter in the drawer.

Thus summer and fall passed by.

On the twelfth day of the month of December I left our home in the city of Nuremberg and travelled to Vienna.

I proceeded to the house of cousin Laran, where Hiltiburg was. My cousin said to me, "Greetings, my cousin. We are glad that you have come to visit us. Do stay with us a while. It is especially wonderful that you have arrived today because tomorrow we shall be holding a small evening party here, to which I invite you. Will you come?"

"I shall come," I said.

Then she took the bell and rang for a maid, telling her to call the children.

The maid withdrew, and after a while my cousin's daughters, Mathilt and Ada, stepped into the room.

They had become very beautiful girls. Mathilt's face was rosy, her brown eyes strikingly large and gleaming, and her brown hair very fine. Ada's blond hair was even finer, her face gentle and her eyes equally large, but soft and blue.

The girls extended their hands to me, we greeted each other, saying how pleased we were to see each other again after so many years, and exchanged news of ourselves.

Then I asked after Hiltiburg.

My cousin said, "When I asked for the children, I meant Hiltiburg as well. I shall send for her once more."

She sent the maid, who returned with this answer, "This morning I said that I am preparing for the party and shall receive no one all day; I must keep my word. I shall see the little cousin tomorrow."

So I returned to my lodgings that day without a glimpse of Hiltiburg.

On the evening of the next day, I set out for my cousin's party later than was customary. I no longer recall what caused my tardiness. As I stepped from the cloakroom into the adjoining chamber, a girl attired conspicuously in a black silk gown stood amid the crowd. A small white ruff stood up at the neck of the gown. No jewels were in her dark hair, but an exquisite diamond glimmered at her breast. The girl's eyes were quite large and glimmered even more than the diamond. In that light, her eyes appeared brown. Her hair was dark brown. Her face was so lovely, lovelier than any I have seen in my life, and her figure almost even lovelier than her face. The girl gazed at me. It was Hiltiburg. I recognized her immediately, despite having last glimpsed her when she was still a child.

I did not speak.

Hiltiburg, however, said to me, "Greetings, my little cousin and bridegroom, come live beside me and see what becomes of us."

"Greetings, Hiltiburg," I said.

Cousins Mathilt and Ada approached. The girls' party dresses matched. To set off her brown hair, Mathilt wore a pale blue dress with a shimmering sheer overdress in white, and to complement her blond locks, Ada had a dress of pale rose red with a white overdress. My cousin and the girls greeted me warmly. They introduced me right away to the many men and women standing nearby and called to others to introduce me to them as well.

Then I was led into the festive hall.

It was a large room with gray walls shining in the light of innumerable candles. In one corner, a man sat at a piano, his hands sending streams of music into the hall. Young girls and men performed dances more sedate and perhaps more charming than those of today. The girls' dresses were of either white or colorful cloth. The white ones had colorful overdresses, and the colorful dresses had white. They were adorned with flowers, ribbons, even jewels. The men were all in black suits. Beautiful girls were there, very beautiful girls were there, extraordinarily beautiful girls were there. But when Hiltiburg stepped into the hall, one saw how far above the most beautiful girl she was. Some of the young men cut fine figures and many had fetching features. Against the walls of the room sat mothers, aunts, older sisters or others of the female sex, watching the dancing. I joined them for a while, but was soon pulled into the amusements by my cousin and others.

Hiltiburg did not dance. She had declared this through her choice of the black dress, and she explained it to anyone who failed to understand. No one knew the reason and she offered none. She sat in a corner in a red armchair and watched the events before her.

Soon I ventured into the other rooms as well. Adjoining the dancing hall was a lounge for conversation. I chatted with a few guests there and then moved along.  The next room held green card tables at which men were sitting and playing. Then came the dining room, set for the approaching dinner hour.

Finally, I made my way back to the dancing hall.

I then turned my attention to Hiltiburg.

Many men, younger and older, gathered around her and paid their respects. She gazed at them with her wide eyes and spoke with them. I could not discern whether she preferred any one of them in particular. I, too, spoke with her, but only briefly. I largely kept my distance from her throughout the party, lest she think that I wanted to make some claim upon her.

Dinner was served after midnight, followed by a few dances, then the party drew to a close and I made my way to my lodgings.

From that point on, an arrangement evolved between me and the household of my cousin Laran, as is customary with relatives. To avoid the commotion of the guesthouse, I rented two pleasant rooms in an ordinary building and from there I visited my cousin, not daily, but as often as was seemly. I made the acquaintance of others at her house, for in those days she enjoyed bringing larger or smaller circles together and friends of the household were always coming and going. I was also presented to other individuals whom we called on at their homes now and again. At other times, I occupied myself in my room or familiarized myself with the capital city more than I had been able to on earlier visits, or went out with some men whose acquaintance I had made.

In Vienna in those days, the fashion was for extravagance and pomp in buildings, furniture, and dress, although it could be called modest compared with the present. Yet my kinswoman Hiltiburg exceeded all others. Anything I saw at my cousin Laran's or at the homes of others or on the streets and squares of the city or in public places or at parties or at festivals or other events, fell far short of what I beheld of cousin Hiltiburg. Just as at cousin Laran's dancing party her dress surpassed all others in solemnity, splendor, and luster, even though it was only black silk, and her diamond was the most beautiful, so now she outshone all else in her outward appearance. The fabric of her dresses was always very costly, and their cut and design were the epitome of the latest style. She possessed a great variety of gold and gemstones. She wore a different dress almost daily, and often changed several times a day. When she went out or rode in cousin Laran's carriage, which Laran happily permitted, people stood and stared. The walls of her rooms were covered in red and blue silk. The upholstery was thick velvet. She also had a harp, although I never heard her play it. She had books in a case behind curtains, but despite rumors that she read them, she never took one out. Cousin Laran let her have her way. Many young men paid her their deepest respects and sought her favor; but her gaze was always calm, yes, almost cold.

I held forth at several junctures regarding haughtiness and its consequences.

One day, however, I took up this topic with Hiltiburg and criticized her way of life.

She answered, "Cousin, I act in the way that I choose, as you all do. My father has resided abroad, I lived for a while here, for a while there, until I came to these good people. You knew me in my childhood but not thereafter. Those who gather around me for their own pleasure may take their pleasure in doing so."

From then on, I held my tongue; but I could not suppress my feelings, something like contempt for Hiltiburg found its way into my soul.

I would gladly have left Vienna; but I stayed there for my father's sake.

Cousin Laran treated me very lovingly. The solitary, elderly lady was like a mother to me. Mathild, who seemed not yet to have assented to young Master von Helden's courtship of her, was friendly and trusting toward me, and Ada often gazed at me quite piously with her big, innocent blue eyes. I even noticed Hiltiburg occasionally glancing at me, but in her eyes burned something like hatred.

I finally wrote to my father regarding the state of things, and he replied that he did not wish to lead me astray regarding my affairs.

I remained in Vienna for another winter.

The unrest stretching across half of Europe in those days arrived in the month of March.

Cousin Laran resolved to quit the city and remove to her estate at Stein with her daughters and Hiltiburg.

She invited me to visit her there.

I answered, "I must concern myself with the approaching events, but shall find a time to make a visit to the Stein castle."

Before long, my cousin departed with her companions.

After a while, I travelled to my father, who had returned to the white Sentze.

Then, wanting to keep my word, I left for a brief visit to the castle at Stein.

My cousin had settled into the rambling old building. I met the caretaker with his staff and the master forester with his assistants. These men handled the estate's affairs. They also stood ready to advise and assist my cousin in everything that the times demanded. The caretaker had a very pleasant, comely wife and two daughters of great beauty. The wife of the master forester was charming and her daughter nearly as beautiful as the caretaker's daughters. These people gathered most evenings with my cousin and her companions in the castle hall. There the news of the day was almost always the sole topic of conversation. They argued back and forth with enthusiasm.

One day, after vigorous debate, I said, "The greatest external good of the human is freedom, or the power to evolve to the pinnacle of humanity unhindered by any coercion. A man must be free of the cravings and vices of his heart and create the conditions for this freedom, or he is no longer alive. Whoever is unfree in this sense cannot be free in any other sense. Any other freedom is that of animals, which act on instinct. I hope that there are men among us who will pursue this freedom and integrate it into political life, so that it can blossom in all its beauty. How long this will take, I do not know. Most now calling for freedom are still shackled by their lust for status, advantage, and power and are oppressors against oppression, as the poet said long ago, 'A corrupt generation fought for the right of dominion, unworthy the good to establish.' It is important that the empire not falter, and once it is on a sure footing, may the right men seek the path of freedom and may we first find the right men for the task. Because I am not, however, qualified to serve in the council of state, I shall go to the field marshall, who now represents the empire, and serve him. I shall leave here secretly and, after some dark night, be gone. The caretaker will know the hour to open the gate and will not divulge it."

"No, no, that cannot be," called my cousin, "you must say farewell."

"That will only draw things out or lead to sentiment and agitation," I said, "such a thing must be done cleanly, and one day I shall return and say, Here I am. In the end, I cannot be forced to say farewell if I do not wish it."

They protested half-heartedly and half-heartedly relented.

Then finally the conversation turned to my speech and a lively discussion about freedom, the good of the state, popular representation, models of government and the like ensued. Everyone participated except Hiltiburg.

It was late that night when we parted.

Not long after, I made provisions for my departure.

The evening before the chosen night, I informed the caretaker of the time at which he should open the gate for me. When the hour arrived, Christoph brought down my satchel to load onto the cart that I had summoned to the front of the estate. I followed him. I stepped silently along the dark hallway, so as to wake no one. Then something like a woman's dress brushed against me, two feminine arms embraced me, and suddenly I felt a kiss upon my lips. This kiss was so sweet and fervent that my entire life was shaken. The figure receded into the darkness, I did not know what I was about and hurried along the hall, down the stairs, through the opened gate, onto the wagon as far as the post, onto the mail cart toward my destination and could not get the kiss out of my head. Later at watchfires, on first watch in the dark of night, at encampments in the wilderness, in rain storms and under the burning sun, in dilapidated huts and in grand castles, I thought always of the kiss and wondered which of the girls had acted so remarkably. I understood that the kiss was meant to be a secret, so I did not inquire and spoke of it to no one.

The elderly field marshall took me on very cordially and assigned me to his men. I discovered old acquaintances and made new ones, and companionship and friendship were renewed and inaugurated. No one inquired about another's mother tongue, everyone could speak German, and so in German -- good or bad, seldom formal, but in our various dialects -- we bantered and pledged to stand together, come what may. Now war and all manner of misery and turmoil covered the peaceful, blooming fields where I had once rambled. Yet ever more fortunate days were coming. We advanced and advanced, the glory of our weapons grew, one maneuver met with success, a second was ventured, and after various incidents and some interruptions came the final victory, bringing peace with it.

Having accomplished my purpose for the time being, I bid farewell, promising to return if I were needed and time allowed, left a piece of my heart with my friends and carried the rest homeward over the Alps.

I did not head toward the Stein castle, although it lay along my route, but rather toward my father in the white Sentze.

He greeted me very lovingly and at first did not speak of the past at all.

I found him hard at work. He was enlarging the garden, improving the woodlands and the far-flung dairy farms, supporting the district's inhabitants, seeking out popular literature to distribute, and ordering and cleaning the castle. Compared with all of this, it was jarring to see how neglected the red Sentze was.

After I had settled in and was assisting my father with this and that, he said, "We must discuss what happened. You did as we decided. First, I thank God for bringing you back safe and sound, then I thank him for allowing us to take part in what has transpired. Those with greater wealth and education must be pillars of the state, each according to their ability, some less, others more. We Palsentzes more. Just as we possess significant power, and this power rests on agreements, negotiations, and promises, so too we have the covenant of the kiss of the Palsentze which further confirms that giving one’s word is sacred. And in promises and the rights arising from them lies the possibility of property and wealth. If a state could take whatever it pleased, then so could everyone else, and no one could be sure of even the least of his possessions and we would be in the state of nature. There should be progress, but by the agreement of all concerned. Therefore you, too, will serve in the council, if you are called to it."

"I shall do so," I answered, "if I am able."

"And the rest of what we hoped for our lineage," he continued, "we shall set aside. You will be happy in some other way, as I was happy with your mother, even though I did not set my eye on her first. Once you have chosen, you will tell me. Or have you chosen?"

"I have not chosen, Father," I answered, "and shall not do so soon."

"As you think best, my son," he said, "although I would have liked to have seen our lineage flourish before my eyes close and would have been gladdened by the love of a few grandchildren."

"You yourself are still flourishing, Father," I said, "and will flourish when that which you now desire comes to pass."

"That is in God's hand," he replied, "it may be so, it may not be so. Let us await his judgment. And finally, my son, let me say -- because the situation between you and Hiltiburg has gone as it has, it will be necessary for you two to give each other our lineage's kiss of peace to forestall hatred and enmity. Then Hiltiburg will keep her word."

"I shall gladly give this pledge," I said, "and shall follow it steadfastly."

"I know, and then it will be over and done," he responded, "your visit to Walchon has been greatly delayed by your enlistment."

"He will not hold it against me," I answered.

"He accepts all that has happened," said my father.

And with this our conversation came to an end.

Some time later, I embarked on the journey to cousin Walchon. I travelled by coach as far as the Bavarian Forest. There I hired a guide who carried my case and walked along a path above the river valley. On the far side, in the village of Sonnberg, I sent the guide back and deposited my case, saying that it would be retrieved. I wanted to proceed alone to my cousin. I climbed from the valley toward the peaks and eventually reached an enclosure littered with chunks of gray granite, interspersed with a crooked pine tree here and there, that increased steadily in size until immense granite blocks as big as houses piled up into a tower behind which the forest ascended once more. In the forest stood those handsome trees that thrive in such soil: spruces, firs, pines, beeches, maples, birches. Amid the stony rubble stood a house. It was built of wood and had a flat roof upon which lay more gray stones. Rain and sun must have fallen on it for many years, because its wood had grown gray as well. At some distance from the house was a fence of pine boughs. I walked along a scarcely visible path toward the fence and the house. I stepped through the fence's open gate. Then Wilhelm, who had grown quite old, approached me and said, "Are you cousin Rupert?"

"I am, and you are Wilhelm," I answered.

"Yes," he said, "greetings, you must wait, the master will not arrive for another hour."

"I shall wait," I replied, "and greetings to you as well, Wilhelm."

"Time flies," said Wilhelm, "and I have work to do, have a seat on a chair in the house."

"Go to your work," I answered, "go into the house, I shall wait here outside."

"Do as you wish," he said.

With these words, he went into the house; I, however, sat down in the shade that fell from the roof onto the bench before the house.

After an hour, when the beams of the hot midday sun had sunk into the gray stones, my cousin slowly walked toward the house and toward me. He wore a coat as gray as the stones. His trousers were of the same shade and on his feet were sturdy boots. On his head he wore a gray hat with a black band and on his shoulders, a strap attached to a flat rectangular box covered in brown leather. His appearance resembled that of my father and my grandfather. His tanned, aged face with its short gray beard was almost as handsome as my father's. Behind him loped a yellowish-white wolfhound of unusual size. I stood up; but he said, when he reached me, "So you are visiting me in my forest stronghold. It is made of wood like that of King Attila of old, only smaller and not on a gray heath like his, but rather under these gray stones. Enter."

He calmed the dog, which had growled at me, and gestured with his hand toward the door. I entered first, he followed me and then led me into a kind of hall, with walls covered in reddish leather, on which hung pictures of his ancestors in metal frames. They seemed to have been painted posthumously. There also hung a variety of weapons, from olden times up to the present day. The furniture was upholstered in the same leather as the wallcovering. Silk curtains of the same reddish color were pulled back from the windows and the same silk covered the table standing in the center of the room. We placed our hats on the table. I noted that my cousin's full head of hair must once have been brown like my father's, but was now much mixed with gray. His eyes gleamed remarkably. He said to me, "This is the castle hall. I greet you as my guest, eat with me the crust of bread that I have to offer."

He offered me his hand, which I took.

Then he said, "Now follow me further."

We took our hats and he led me through a corridor into a chamber with two south-facing windows. The furnishings were made of birchwood. It was outfitted for sleeping and living.

He said to me, "This is the birch room and is yours, so long as you are here. Follow me yet further."

He led me again through the corridor into a room. It was covered with the same brown leather as the box he carried, as were the furnishings. This room was also meant for sleeping and living. Numerous pictures of plants hung on the walls. Enormous books and binders, fastened with straps, lay on a table. There were in addition various smaller books in the room, as well as weapons, and in a corner was some sort of press.

He said to me, "This is the plant room and my living quarters. You may visit me here."

With these words, he took the box from his shoulders and laid it on a table.

Then he said, "Follow me yet further."

He led me again through the corridor into a room that I recognized as a dining room. A table of spruce, brown with age, was covered with linen and and set for five people. Around the table were chairs of old spruce wood.

He said to me, "Here we shall take our midday meal, set down your hat and seat yourself to my right."

We laid our hats on a side table, he sat at the upper end of the dining table, and I sat to his right on its long side.

Presently the meal was carried in. A small old man, whom I did not know, brought roast beef on a dish. Then he brought a bottle of wine and one of water. Then he, too, sat at the table. A middle-aged man, dressed all in white, entered and sat with us. Wilhelm did the same. We five men consumed the roast beef and ate good rye bread and drank wine and water. The dog was given its meal from our table in an earthenware dish on the floor. This single dish was the midday meal.

After eating, my cousin said to me, "This is Wilhelm, the seneschal of our forest stronghold, this is Adalo, the cook, and this Dietrich, the dapifer. This is the crew. They will be of service to you, if you require it. No other people are here. The dog Witun is our guard and protector, the two packhorses bring us our supplies, and the pair of cows give us milk. Those are the animals that we keep. The others are here of their own free will: the beetles, flies, lizards, moths, mice. You will learn everything and the custom of this house. Now we shall part and each occupy himself."

He took his hat, raised a hand in greeting, and withdrew with the dog from the dining chamber. I similarly took my hat and followed him. I saw him entering the plant room, and I went into the birch room. Where the others went, I did not notice.

I sat in my room on a chair and gazed for a while out the window at the distant forest standing in the midday sun.

When I then saw my cousin going out through the gate with his large dog, I stood, left my room and the house as well, and because I did not know whom to send for my case, I went down to Sonnberg myself and hired a man to carry it up for me. Then I stowed my things in the birch chamber. Toward evening my cousin and his dog returned through the boulders. When the sun had set, Dietrich summoned me to supper. It consisted of cold roast venison and as at midday was just this single dish. The dog again ate next to us on the ground. After the meal, my cousin said good night, the others did the same, and we dispersed. I went to my room, read one of my books for a long time, and only went to bed once deep night had settled among all the stones.

At sunrise Dietrich summoned me to breakfast. This consisted of milk and bread. Once it was over, we again left the dining room. I remained in my chamber for two hours, reading and writing. Then I dressed carefully and paid my first visit to my cousin. He seemed to have been expecting me; for he was better dressed than the day before and was still in his room. He sat at a table on which he had a few handfuls of moss, and he was looking through them. He stood when I entered, led me to the daybed, gestured with his hand for me to sit, and when I had, he sat down to my left. The visit was brief, we spoke of ordinary things, and I took my leave. After an hour, he came to me dressed quite handsomely and remained for a few moments.

The formal visits marking my arrival were now complete, and the morning was soon past.

After the midday meal I walked about near the house. Close by one could weave one's way between the stones, further back one would have had to climb over them, and even the most skilled climber would hardly have made it up the tower. Farther away to the west, they were more scattered and there appeared alders, junipers, and hazel trees. In the northerly forest, they were also sparse and between them stood the tall trees and countless mosses and beautiful ferns.

I returned to the house around sunset. I quickly became acquainted with its habits. Dietrich often went with one packhorse or the other down to the villages to fetch our supplies. Adalo prepared the meals, and Wilhelm took care of the other routine tasks. Breakfast was immediately after sunrise, the midday meal at noon and supper after sunset. In the mornings there was always milk and bread, at midday and in the evening various foods, but always only a single dish. No one was disturbed in his undertakings. My cousin was nearly always outdoors. Now and then I joined him. We occasionally paid each other visits in our rooms or walked for a bit near the house. He spoke only of ordinary things. He spoke not at all about matters concerning our lineage or its members. I did not try to raise any particular topic of conversation. I did not attempt to discover what kind of books I saw in his room, but often found him reading them. His manner was generally calm and even-tempered. I noticed that he frequently brought mosses home in the leather case without which he never went out, that he sorted them and that everyone assisted him in this. Thus one day I made a pocket out of thick paper, took it along one afternoon into the woods, filled it with mosses that particularly pleased me, and brought them to him. He emptied them onto a table and said, "Tomorrow after breakfast we shall inspect them."

After breakfast the next day I went with him to his chamber. He separated the mosses stem by stem and laid them in a row. Then he said, "You have a good eye, cousin, but you are no expert. I have sought to fathom the wonders of these small things and am far from reaching any conclusion. I have done so especially from this house, I have collected hundreds of species, I have the books about them, and have studied them; but the books and I are incomplete. Things follow their own paths. If it pleases you to observe my efforts, then do so. Here are the boxes in which the mosses are preserved according to their classification and here is the book that gives the method of preservation. Other books suggest other methods. You can have a look at them and then decide what you find most suitable. Pressing is perhaps even better than preserving. We press the mosses onto paper and they leave astonishingly lovely impressions, if not much color, which is also lacking in the preserved specimens. You will find the impressions in these binders. However, if you do not wish to occupy yourself with these things, that is your right, I am merely giving you permission to do so."

"I shall avail myself of this permission," I answered, "if you allow me to visit this room often."

"You may visit it," he said, "and you may also take books or binders to your chamber."

"I shall do so," I said.

And so I often consulted the books and sought to educate myself, so as to proceed more discerningly the next time I brought him mosses. Eventually I even developed an interest in the subject. I saw in the specimens more kinds of mosses than I would have thought possible; I saw relationships, connections, and transformations. In the pressed pages I saw the extravagance of the forms and gaped at their detail and uniqueness. In the books I found efforts to grasp the complexities, immersed myself in these efforts and sometimes leaned more toward this, other times more toward that view. I often had several books or boxes or binders of my cousin's in my room. I did in fact find several rare mosses which my cousin could use in his collection, indeed I once found a species that he did not yet have at all.

"You see," he said, "these forests are more abundant in mosses than others, you will find even more."

In this way, a bond between us was discovered.

Going forward, he spoke also about other things of which he had not spoken earlier.

He asked me about the events of the war, about the field marshall, about the commanders, about my friends. He praised my actions and discussed their consequences at length. He spoke admiringly of my father.

One day he showed me the innermost parts of the house and when I expressed my amazement that it had so many rooms despite looking so modest, he answered, "It only looks so small by contrast with the great granite rocks. I built the house that I call the gray Sentze at a time when something had happened that I did not think I could overcome. I did overcome it, however, and have endured. The house is good for overcoming all kinds of difficulties and I have come here often. Virtually nothing that I have undertaken in my life has come to fruition. I have accepted this and have persisted. Only the things of nature are wholly true. And when one asks questions of them rationally, they answer rationally."

Later he gave me a leather pouch for the mosses, like his own.

Thus we lived for a while longer.

As I was coming home late one afternoon, I saw in the yard a feminine figure standing among the stones. She was wearing a linen garment with a muted blue print. On her head she wore a round hat of yellow straw. Beside the figure stood my cousin's dog. It was calm and even seemed friendly. From the presence of the dog, I deduced that my cousin must be in the house. So I approached. Because the figure was standing on the path, I had to come near her. She turned around, it was Hiltiburg.

"You are here, Hiltiburg," I said.

"Yes, cousin, I am here," she answered, "to do my duty. My father is alone; no one told me of this; I knew only of his return from Egypt; I made myself aware, however, and have come to be with him, and he has permitted me to remain."

"I believe that you are doing a good thing, Hiltiburg," I said.

"It is the right thing to do," she answered.

I turned to go; she remained at her place with the dog.

I found my cousin in the plant room and handed him my bounty. He laid the plants next to each other and then said, "You have been to Riegelstein, I do not know where else such things can be found."

"I have been to Riegelstein," I answered.

"You have a good eye," he said, "we shall preserve and press them. Hiltiburg has come and will stay. We now have two more people in the wooden house, she and her servant."

"I think she is acting responsibly," I said.

"Indeed," he replied.

That evening, our number at table increased by two guests, indeed two female ones.

So it was at our next breakfast as well.

Then I heard Hiltiburg walking through the house with Wilhelm.

By and by I noticed that the house, the corridors, the living spaces, and the surroundings were cleaner. Little by little, ingredients were added to our dishes, and in the mornings we had milk, tea, coffee, butter and cold roasts, at midday soup, roasts, vegetables and some other dish and in the evenings dishes like those of the morning, but with a warm roast added. Whenever Walchon had seconds of a dish, that dish appeared at meals more often. Everyone became accustomed to the new order, nothing more was said about it. Another maid came to the house as well.

I could not leave right after Hiltiburg's arrival, because it would have seemed rude. So I stayed.

Hiltiburg always wore simple linen dresses, printed with some color and pattern. On her head she always wore the round straw hat and on her feet sturdy boots. She also often wore a gray coat like her father's, and whenever she walked around in the woods or the district, she, too, had a leather pouch hanging from her shoulders. She was often seen walking with her father, and for longer and longer stretches. Late in the evening or even at night we could hear the notes of her harp from her room.

I spoke often with Hiltiburg. I showed her the books about mosses and explained a little to her.  I taught her as well about other plants that her father might enjoy. I also showed her the books I was reading and lent her a few at her request.

So my life went on.

I often read my books or sat on a block of stone and considered the dawn breaking over the distant forest or watched Hiltiburg as she left the yard; and when she returned she fixed her eyes on me.  I sought to give my cousin Walchon as much attention and happiness as I possibly could.

One day, late in the autumn, my cousin said to me, "Rupert, you know the wish your father had regarding the two youngest and sole remaining branches of our family tree, regarding you and regarding Hiltiburg. I had the same wish. Because this wish could not be fulfilled, however, now another has taken its place. In the relations between you and Hiltiburg we believe we discern that a suitable time has come for you to give each other the kiss of peace of the Palsentze, which entails the vow that neither will inflict harm upon the other. I have spoken with Hiltiburg, she has also assented. If you agree, tell me the day on which you want to begin the preparations. You know that these preparations consist of spending three days in prayer, contemplation of the oath and reading the oath documents. Hiltiburg will begin the preparations on the same day. I have two copies of the existing oath documents in the house. I shall give one to you, one to Hiltiburg. And on the morning after the third day you will carry out the promise in the hall with no witnesses but God, as is prescribed.

To this speech I replied, "Dear cousin, if there are no objections, I shall begin the preparations tomorrow, ask Hiltiburg about the matter once more."

"I shall ask her," he answered.

Toward evening he said to me, "Hiltiburg is not opposed, and so, begin."

He gave me a packet of papers wound around with silk ribbons.

Then came supper, it was quiet, and we soon dispersed.

The next morning, after I was fully dressed, I made a very earnest prayer to God. Then I considered the content of the promise, which I had actually comprehended long before. Then I loosened the silk ribbons of the papers that Walchon had given me and began to read. Dietrich brought me my meals in my room.

Three days passed in this way.

On the morning of the fourth, I dressed formally and went into the hall. It was still empty. Hiltiburg entered shortly after. She was again dressed in linen, but now white, and without a hat on her head. I approached her and we greeted each other in silence. Then we stood still a moment, then I stepped into the middle of the hall toward her and said, "Hiltiburg, have you read the documents?"

"I have read them," she answered.

"I have read them as well," I said.

Then I spoke again, "Do you know the words?"

"I know them," she answered.

"I know them as well," I said.

Then I asked, "Shall I say the words?"

"Say them," she answered.

As she said this, she stood before me with her arms at her sides. I laid my hands on her shoulders and said quietly, "Hiltiburg, with God."

"Rupert, with God," she answered even more quietly.

With that, I leaned my face to hers, she leaned hers to mine, and we pressed our lips together.

When it was done, I cried, "Hiltiburg, I know this kiss."

She turned away abruptly, walked to the window and remained there with her back to me, as if she wanted to look out at the gray stones.

Behind her back I stepped toward her, then I stepped toward the door, then I stepped toward her again.

Then I said, "Hiltiburg, was that merely the kiss of peace?"

I heard my voice tremble as I spoke these words.

"Rupert!" she cried.

"Hiltiburg!" I cried.

And at once we were in each others' arms and held each other and pressed our lips together again, so firmly and tenderly as if we would never again part them. She began to sob, I felt my being quake and sobbed as well as if with deepest regret.

We embraced again and again and pressed our lips together.

We said only the words, "Hiltiburg"—"Rupert."

Finally, with her eyes still shimmering with tears, I took her pure, lovely hand. She gave it to me willingly. I led her by the hand to the door of the hall, out the door and over the corridor to her father in the plant room.

When we stood before him, he gazed at us wordlessly and a stream of tears broke from his eyes.

Then he cried, "After twenty-five years!"

Then he was silent again.

Then he said, "I must write to your father."

He went to his desk. We sat down on chairs. He wrote several lines on a piece of paper, then sealed it and wrote an address. Then he rang the bell. When Dietrich appeared in response, he said, "Saddle a horse and ride with this letter to the post."

"I shall," said Dietrich.

When Dietrich had left the room, Walchon said to us, "Children, children, leave me alone now, go each to your rooms and thank God!"

We left the chamber.

While I was sitting in my room, Wilhelm came in and said, "You must prepare for your departure, I must ride the other horse to the post and order a carriage for you and the master and the lady for early tomorrow morning in Sonnberg."

"I shall prepare myself," I said.

He left the room and I soon had my things packed. The whole afternoon was spent preparing for the trip.

After breakfast the next morning, Walchon, Hiltiburg and I walked to Sonnberg. Wilhelm was already there and had the carriage ready. We embarked and set off toward the white Sentze.

We arrived in the afternoon of the second day. My father received us at the gate and led us into the hall.

Then Walchon led Hiltiburg to him and said, "She is as beautiful as Eveline. She is not as we thought, she resembles my grandfather Erkambert, your forebear, who was brusque and did good to others."

My father looked at my cousin and said, "My dear Walchon!"

Then the two men embraced and kissed each other warmly on the lips.

"Walchon," my father said then, "that was a kiss of love."

"Yes, it was a kiss of love," Walchon replied.

Then my father approached Hiltiburg, inclined his lips toward her mouth and said, "By your leave, lovely cousin!"

Hiltiburg offered him her mouth, and he kissed it.

"Take this kiss as a kiss of love as well, my virtuous, my good cousin," said my father.

"I take it, my highly honored cousin," Hiltiburg answered, "and shall hold it in my heart all my life."

Then my father turned to me and shook my hand earnestly.

"I suspected as much when you wrote me the letter, Walchon," he said then. "You surprised me with your arrival, but there is always enough for a midday meal in the Sentze. Follow me to the dining room."

We did so, and after a short wait, the midday meal was set before us.

Afterward all the luggage with the exception of mine was brought to the red Sentze. Messages were sent at once to day laborers, masons, carpenters, joiners, and other tradesmen that they were to come to the red Sentze the next day to begin work. Wilhelm was charged with travelling back to the gray Sentze three days later to set everything in order, close up the house and bring everyone here.

Walchon and Hiltiburg were living in the red Sentze, my father and I in the white.

Hiltiburg, who had been devoted to clothing, was now simple but lovely and devoted to Walchon, to my father and to me.

The twentieth day of the month of November was chosen for the wedding.

I myself travelled to the Stein castle to cousin Laran, who no longer liked living in Vienna, to invite her. I found her and her lovely daughters in good spirits and found two young men, the sons of the caretaker and of the forester, there as guests as well. I stayed for three days and then travelled back home.

And on the twentieth day of the month of November, the wedding was held, before all close and distant relatives, in the chapel of the red Sentze.

When we gathered in the hall after the ceremony, I in the solemn attire of the Palsentze and Hiltiburg in more sumptuous apparel than she had ever worn, and when we had given each other the marriage kiss at the command of our fathers, my father cried, "That is a kiss of love of the Palsentze, may a kiss of peace never again be needed in this lineage."

Here the document from the Sentze stops.

But we can report: The striped Sentze is becoming ever grander and more hospitable and the garden blossoming; the red Sentze is restored nearly to the perfection of the white; the interior of the gray Sentze is even more handsomely and splendidly furnished than before. Hiltiburg and Rupert are as blissful as that single lady and that single gentleman of the Palsentze lineage were, and it seems that offspring will issue from them as from every couple.

The fathers live in such great harmony as if they had given each other the kiss of Sentze four times.