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She held out her hand to Amrei, and said: "You have grown to be a strong, comely girl. Now tell me what has brought you here." "She rode part of the way with our John," the Farmer interposed. "He'll be here directly." The mother gave a start. She had an inkling of something to come, and reminded her husband that, when John went away, she had thought of the Josenhans children.
Josenhans and his wife had no near relations in the place, but there was, nevertheless, loud weeping heard, and much mournful praise of the dead couple. The village magistrate walked with one of the children at each hand behind the two coffins. Even at the grave the children were quiet and unconscious, indeed, almost cheerful, though they often asked for their father and mother.
A hundred years from now they will be saying in this village of one who has done well: 'He has the fortune of Brosi's Severin and of Josenhans' Amrei. Your dry bread will fall into the honey-pot yet." Farmer Rodel's sick wife was looked upon as crazy; and, as if frightened by a specter, Amrei hurried away without a word of reply.
"My horses are warm and must not drink now. Do you come from Haldenbrunn, my girl?" "Yes indeed." "And what is your name?" "Amrei." "And to whom do you belong?" "To nobody now my father was Josenhans." "What! Josenhans, who served at Farmer Rodel's?" "Yes." "I knew him well. It was too bad that he died so soon. Wait, child I'll give you something."
"To Josenhans there!" answered Amrei, pointing to the house. "Oh, you poor children!" cried the woman, clasping her hands. "I should have known you, my girl, for your mother, when she went to school with me, looked just as you do we were good companions; and your father served my cousin, Farmer Rodel. I know all about you. But tell me, Amrei, why have you no shoes on?
Amrei drew a deep breath and began: "You may believe me when I say that no child could have thought more about you than I have done, long ago, long before these last days. Do you remember Josenhans, by the pond, where the road turns off to Endringen?" "Surely, surely!" said the two old people. "Well, I am Josenhans's daughter!" "Why, I thought I knew you!" exclaimed the old woman. "God greet you!"
Josenhans' house was taken by the mortgagee, and the payment the deceased had made upon it was lost; for the value of houses had decreased enormously through emigration; many houses in the village stood empty, and Josenhans' dwelling also remained unoccupied.
Remember that you will give real, true happiness to your parents, when they hear, yonder in heaven, how the people down here on earth are saying 'The Josenhans children are models of all goodness one can see in them the blessing of honest parents." The tears poured down the woman's cheeks as she spoke these last words.
John had gone out, and he was now entering again with a large bag, on which was written the name "Josenhans of Haldenbrunn;" and when he poured out the rich contents, which rolled rattling and clinking over the table, all were dumbfounded. But the most astonished of all were the father and mother. So Amrei had really had a secret treasure!
This mystery was soon cleared up, when Farmer Rodel's wife came, and with her, Black Marianne; for Dame Rodel said: "Harkye, husband to my mind this thing should not be done so fast, this sending the children off to America with that man." "But he is their only living relative, Josenhans' brother." "Yes, to be sure.
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