132 THE DRUMANN FAMILY. 



Berlin . and I was looking forward to the renewed 

 meeting with my amiable cousin and her handsome and 

 clever daughter. The pleasure was unfortunately 

 destined to be marred by a very sad event. 



Frau Drumann arrived ill in Berlin, and died in 

 the hotel a few days after, of inflammation of the 

 lungs. I was the only relative, even the only acquain- 

 tance of the family in Berlin, and had therefore to 

 fulfil all the duties of the family head. My compassion 

 was put to a hard test by the intense grief of the 

 poor lonely girl. The speedy arrival of the deceased's 

 brother, councillor Mehlis of Hanover, and of his wife 

 made indeed easier for me the difficult and alto- 

 gether unwonted task which had fallen to my lot, 

 yet the image of the sorrow-laden girl, helplessly 

 clinging to me. would not leave my mind. Eight 

 years had since passed, in which our correspondence 

 lively at first had gradually ceased. My brother Fer- 

 dinand had meanwhile become engaged to Matilda's 

 elder sister, and with the assistance of Professor Dru- 

 mann had purchased the manor of Piontken in East 

 Prussia. But when he was on the point of bringing 

 home his bride, she fell ill of a chronic lung disease, 

 to which, notwithstanding the excellent nursing of her 

 only sister, she succumbed after several years of severe 

 suffering. The time had now come for me to fulfil 

 a long cherished wish, without departing from an early- 

 formed resolution , to -marry only when my own 

 resources permitted it. Halske had managed well. 

 We had bought in Berlin extensive premises, 94 Mark- 



