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But she soon spoke a very different elegy concerning him; for it appeared that Farmer Rodel, who had for years been raising Barefoot's hopes concerning his will, made no mention at all of her in that document far less did he leave her anything. When Black Marianne went on with an endless tirade of scolding and complaining, Barefoot said: "It's all coming at once.
But a person cannot be sold, and he who is unwilling cannot be led away by a halter. Yonder comes Farmer Rodel and his horses, with a large colt frisking beside them. You will be put in harness soon, colt, and perhaps you, too, will be sold. A man cannot be bought he merely hires himself out. An animal for its work gets nothing more than its food and drink, while a person gets money as a reward.
Farmer Rodel, whose house with its red beams and its pious text in a large heart over the door, was not far from Josenhans's had let himself be appointed guardian of the orphan children by the Village Council. He made the less objection for the reason that Josenhans had, in former days, served as second-man on his farm.
"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?
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.
This was a good chance for old Rodel; he could now give his natural hardness the appearance of benevolence and prudent forethought. Accordingly he declared to Barefoot that he would not give her one farthing now, for he did not want to be responsible for her ruining herself for that brother of hers. Barefoot then begged him to be her advocate with Scheckennarre.
"And, oh, that Farmer Rodel! If he didn't send to Lauterbach the night before you came and have a white horse brought from there, so as to get you to come to his house. Holloa! white horse, go home again!" she concluded, almost merrily. And thus their thoughts and feelings returned to ordinary life, and from it they learned to appreciate their happiness anew.
She now succeeded in pacifying her brother, and said: "Look, I have an idea. But first you must be good, for the coat must not lie on an angry heart. Farmer Rodel still has in his possession our dear father's clothes; you are tall now, and they will just fit you.
"It is better to dance alone then one does not have to wait for anybody, and has one's partner always at hand." "Have you had anything from the wedding yet?" asked Farmer Rodel, with a complacent smile. "No." "Then come in and eat," said the proud farmer; and he led the poor girl into the house and sat her down at the wedding table, at which feasting was going on all day long.
On the way home Black Marianne gave as a special reason for this fact that old Farmer Rodel had been the last survivor of those with whom she had danced in her youth. "And now," she said, "my last partner is dead."
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