A crowd of peasants stood with bared heads: before the door stood a carriage, some peasants were just raising a coffin into it.

In the doorway stood the old preacher, and spoke with a man clad in black.
"Lord Jesus! who is dead ?" were Otto's first words, and his countenance became pale like that of a corpse.
"Otto!" all exclaimed.
"Otto!" exclaimed also the old preacher, astonished; then seized his hand, and said gravely, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" "Let me see the face of the dead!" said Otto.

Not a tear came to his eye; surprise and sorrow were too great.
"Shall I take out the screws ?" inquired the man who had just screwed up the coffin.
"Let him sleep the eternal rest!" said the preacher.
Otto stared at the black coffin in which his grandfather lay.

The carriage drove away with it.

Otto followed after with the preacher, heard him throw earth upon it, heard words which he did not comprehend, saw the last corner of the coffin, and it was then removed from his sight.