The Baron of Rothsattel was one of the few men whom not only the world pronounced happy, but who believed himself to be so.

The descendant of an ancient and honorable house, he had married, out of sheer love, a beautiful young lady without any fortune.

Like a sensible man, he had retired with her into the country, lived for his family, and within his means.

He was a thoroughly noble-hearted man, still handsome and dignified in appearance, an affectionate husband, a hospitable host; in short, the very model of a landed proprietor.

His means were not, indeed, very large, but he might have sold his property over and over again for a far higher sum than the sagacious Itzig had surmised, had he felt any inclination to do so.