The students repaired to a retired dingle,
where they could shake out their cloaks, wash themselves in the brook,
and shave one another. The new lady's-maid, with her canary-bird and
her bundle, set out for an inn, the hostess of which I had recommended
to her as an excellent person, and where she wished to change her
gown before she presented herself at the castle. As for me--the lovely
evening shone right into my heart, and as soon as all the rest had
disappeared I lost not a moment, but ran directly to the castle
garden.
My toll-house, which I had to pass, was standing on the old spot, the
tall trees in the castle garden were still murmuring above it, and
a yellow-hammer, which always used to sing at sunset in the
chestnut-tree before the window, was singing again, as if nothing in
the world had happened since I last heard him. The toll-house window
was open; I ran up to it with delight and looked in. There was no one
there, but the clock in the corner was ticking away, the writing-table
stood by the window, and the long pipe in the corner as of old. I
could not resist the temptation to climb through the window and seat
myself at the writing-table before the big account-book. Again the
sunlight shone golden-green through the chestnut boughs upon the
figures in the open book, again the bees buzzed in and out of the
window, and again the yellow-hammer's jocund song sounded from the
tree outside.
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