Part 12 (1/2)
They stepped on the threshold of the kitchen door left open the whole night and which led direct into the open, and they had to laugh as they now saw each other plainly. For the right cheek of Vreni and the left one of Sali, which in their sleep had been resting against each other, were both quite red from the pressure, while the pallor of the opposite cheeks was engrossed by the coolth of early morning. So then they rubbed vigorously the pale cheeks to bring them into consonance with the others, each performing that service for the other. The fresh morning air, the dewy peace lying over the whole landscape, and the ruddy tints of coming sunrise, all this together made them forget their griefs and made them merry and playful, and into Vreni especially a gay spirit of carelessness seemed to have pa.s.sed.
”To-morrow night then, I must leave this house,” she said, ”and find some other shelter. But before that happens I should love to be merry, real merry, just once, only once. And it is with thee, dear, that I want to enjoy myself. I should like to dance with you, really and truly, for a long, long time, till I could no longer move a foot. For it is that dance in my dream that I have to think of steadily. That dream was too fine, let us realize it.”
”At all events I must be present when you dance,” said Sali, ”and see what becomes of you, and to dance with you as long as you like is just what I myself would love to do, you charming wild thing. But where?”
”Ah, Sali, to-morrow there will be kermess in a number of places near by. Of two of these I know. On such occasions we should not be spied upon and could enjoy ourselves to our heart's content. Below at the river front I could await you, and then we can go wherever we like, to laugh and be merry--just once, only once. But stop--we have no money.”
And Vreni's face clouded with the sad thought, and she added blankly: ”What a pity! Nothing can come of it.”
”Let be,” smilingly said Sali, ”I shall have money enough when I meet you.”
But Vreni flushed and said haltingly: ”But how--not from your father, not stolen money?”
”No, Vreni. I still have my silver watch, and I will sell that.”
”Then that is arranged,” said Vreni, and she flushed once more. ”In fact, I think I should die if I could not dance with you to-morrow.”
”Probably the best for us,” said Sali, ”if we both could die.”
They embraced with tearful smiles, and bade each other good-by, but at the moment of parting they again laughed at each other, in the sure hope of meeting again next day.
”But when shall we meet?” asked Vreni.
”At eleven at latest,” answered Sali. ”Then we can eat a good noon meal together somewhere.”
”Fine, fine,” Vreni cried after him, ”come half an hour earlier then.”
But the very moment of their parting Vreni summoned him back once more, and she showed suddenly a wholly changed and despairing face: ”Nothing, after all, can come of our plans,” she then said, weeping hard, ”because I had forgotten I had no Sunday shoes any more. Even yesterday I had to put on these clumsy ones going to town, and I don't know where to find a pair I could wear.”
Sali stood undecided and amazed.
”No shoes?” he repeated after her. ”In that case you'll have to go in these.”
”But no, no,” she remonstrated. ”In these I should never be able to dance.”
”Well, all we can do then is to buy new ones,” said Sali in a matter-of-fact tone.
”Where and what with?” asked Vreni.
”Why, in Seldwyla, where they have shoe stores enough. And money I shall have in less than two hours.”
”But, Sali, I cannot accompany you to all these shoe stores, and then there will not be money enough for all the other things as well.”
”It must. And I will buy the shoes for you and bring them along to-morrow.”
”Oh, but, you silly, they would not fit me.”
”Then give me an old shoe of yours to take along, or, stop, better still, I will take your measure. Surely that will not be very difficult.”
”Take my measure, of course. I never thought of that. Come, come, I will find you a bit of tape.”
Then she sat down once more on the hearth, turned her skirt somewhat up and slipped her shoe off, and the little foot showed, from yesterday's excursion to town, yet covered with a white stocking. Sali knelt down, and then took, as well as he was able, the measure, using the tape daintily in encompa.s.sing the length and width with great care, and tying knots where wanted.
”You shoemaker,” said Vreni, bending down to him and laughingly flus.h.i.+ng in embarra.s.sment. But Sali also reddened, and he held the little foot firmly in the palm of his hand, really longer than was necessary, so that Vreni at last, blus.h.i.+ng still a deeper red, withdrew it, embracing, however, Sali once more stormily and kissing him with ardor, but then telling him hastily to go.