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The girl remained behind, dissolved in burning tears. Herr Sperber led her to the deserted table and made her sit down by his side. A bitter odor came up from the dregs in the bottom of the glasses. The two candles made a small white island in the midst of the darkness, in which dim forms were seen walking up and down in excited converse. Still the tears ran incessantly down the girl's cheeks.

Very early in the morning you might see brisk Frau Sperber in her pink print apron, with her keys jingling at her waist, cross the courtyard to hold a general inspection of the stables and stock-rooms; and Herr Sperber's huge rubber boots carried their fat little master through hedge and ditch, over ploughed field and meadow and woodland.

A world of dreams ... Here's to your good health!" And he raised his glass and drank. "A positive fool!" whispered old Sperber to his neighbor. "Why can't he talk like other people!" And the same sentiment might have been read in the glances of the rest. This brought all her blood to the hostess's cheeks.

Such a chap hasn't anything particular to show off before the world, no red beard, no giant's stature, no whimsies in the brain, no big heart, no wit just an average fellow that'll settle down and keep quiet." Herr Sperber received both the gentlemen in a very friendly fashion. The nephew, of course, would cut them out but that was his affair.

The Raven-mother was grumbling because this evening she had all the labor of preparing supper; but the table under the trees was spread, and old Sperber, who came to see how they were getting on, announced that he would provide a punch. The Kirsten girls and their friends brought the wine from the Sperber farm and worked reverently and busily at the brewing of the punch.

But it went to Frau Sperber's heart, for Frau Kummerfelden had not been a famous tragic actress for nothing. "Don't make a person's heart heavy, you foolish Suse!" she said to her good friend. "You must always go putting emotion into things." "But," said Herr Sperber, "it can't go on like this it would be a nice state of things. Tubby must marry." "Marry!" said Frau Kummerfelden.

"Child," said Herr Sperber, "what have you done? An utterly unknown man! Are you womenfolks all crazy? For a whole year everything respectable that had two legs has been running up here after you and you ... A man like our nephew ... Think, child so straight and steady, pure and good; he would make a woman happy." "Don't don't!" she said. They sat silently side by side. "No one need know.

Tomorrow morning early I'll go to your engraver and say to him: 'My dear fellow, you probably know by this time what girls are ... An old man has been talking to her, and she has changed her mind. It would be ruination for both of you." "Let me go my way, Uncle Sperber," she said "let me go my way. I can't live without him!" "Tubby, that's exactly the way your mother talked.

"Uncle Sperber," she said gravely, "that is just the reason why words are unnecessary. My tears must say to you, 'I know everything, I understand everything, and yet I cannot let him go." "Then God be with you, my child! If it is so that you know what you are doing, then go the way that you are destined to go. I see nothing good before you. Exactly so I spoke to your mother the very same words.

When Horny recounted to them the experience about which he had so long been reticent, they were walking up and down in the evening on the Sperber farm. "Why did he never tell us that before?" asked Röse, but she got no answer. "The Sperbers want us to take more notice of her," she continued; "and now it's really possible to do something with her.