Part 61 (1/2)
”If we did so, he told us, we might fodder our cows next winter on sawdust, he wouldn't give us a handful of hay or straw, and we might build with bricks, for he would give us no wood or turf.”
Brasig turned dark with anger, but the old man was fairly launched, and went on, under full sail:
”And we must be always ready for him, night or day. I was out for him, the whole holiday, and got home last night, at ten o'clock.”
”Where did you go?”
”Eh, to Ludswigsl.u.s.t, to the old railroad.”
”What had you to do there.”
”Eh, I had nothing to do there.”
”But you must have had business there.”
”Why, yes, I had business; but it came to nothing, for he had no papers.”
”Well, what was it, then?”
”You see, he sent down from the Court, I should drive a ram down to the old railroad; well, I did so, and we got there all right. There was a fellow standing at the station; he let me pa.s.s, and I said to him, 'Good morning,' says I, 'here he is.' 'Who?' he asked. 'The ram.' says I. 'What of him?' says he. 'Well, I don't know,' says I. 'Has he any papers?' asked he. 'No,' says I, 'he hasn't any papers.' 'Blockhead,'
says he, 'I asked if _he_[8] had any papers.' 'No,' says I, 'I told you before, the ram has no papers.' 'Thunder and lightning!' says he, 'I asked if _he himself_ had any papers.' 'What?' says I, 'if I? What do I want of papers? I was to deliver him here.' You see, the fellow was undecided, and first he turned me out, and then he put out the old ram after me, and there we both stood by the train. Huiuu! said the old thing, and then it went off, and we stood there, he had no papers, and I had no papers, and what should I do about it? I loaded him in again, and drove back home. And when I went up to the house, last evening, there was a great uproar, and I thought our Herr would eat me up, he flew at me so. But what did I know? If he must have papers, he should have given them to somebody. But so much I know, if our Herr were not such a great Herr, and if he hadn't such a stiff backbone, and if we all held together, we would try a tussle with him. And his old Register of a wife is a thousand times worse than himself! Didn't she beat my neighbor Kapphingsten's girl half dead, last spring? She beat the girl three times with a broomstick, and shut her up in the shed, and starved her, and why? Because a hawk had carried off a chicken. Was it her fault that the hawk carried off the chicken, and was it my fault that he had given me no papers?”
Brasig listened to all this, and, though yesterday he wanted to start a revolution against Pomuchelskopp, to-day he kept perfectly still, for he would never have forgiven himself, if he had, by a thoughtless word, excited the people against their master.
They came to Pumpelhagen, and drove up to the farm-house door. With a great leap, Fritz Triddelsitz came out of the house to Brasig: ”Herr Inspector, Hen Inspector! I truly could not help it, Marie Moller packed the book up, through an oversight, and when I went to change my clothes, in Demmin, there was the book.”
”What book?” asked Brasig hastily.
”Good gracious! Habermann's book, that all this uproar has been about.”
”And that book,” said Brasig, catching Fritz by the collar, and shaking him, till his teeth chattered in his head, ”you infamous greyhound, did you take that book to Demmin with you?” and he gave him a push towards the door: ”In with you! Bring me the book!”
With fear and trembling, Fritz brought out the book; Brasig s.n.a.t.c.hed it from his hand. ”Infamous greyhound! Do you know what you have done? The man who in his kindness and love has tried to make a man of you, who has covered all your stupidities with a silken mantle, you have ruined, you have brought into this shameful quarrel.”
”Herr Inspector, Herr Inspector!” cried Fritz, deadly pale, ”Oh, Lord!
it wasn't my fault, Marie Moller packed up the book, and I rode from Demmin to-day, in two hours, to bring it back again as soon as possible.”
”Marie Moller!” cried Brasig, ”what have you to do with Marie Moller?
Oh, if I were your Herr Father, or your Frau Mother, or even your Frau Aunt, I would lash you till you ran like a squirrel along the wall.
What have you to do with that old goose of a Marie Moller? And do you think to make up for your stupidity by gallopping over the public road?
Shall the innocent beast suffer for your fault? But come now, come before the board! Come before the judgment seat, to the gracious Frau!
You shall tell her how it has all happened, and then you can go and parade with Marie Moller.”
And with that, he went off, and Fritz followed slowly behind, his heart full of misgivings.
”Announce me, with the young man, to the gracious Frau,” said Brasig, to Daniel Sadenwater, when they came to the porch, and he pointed to Fritz. Daniel made a sort of half-grown bow, and went. Fritz stood there, like b.u.t.ter in the sun, making a face, which came very readily to him, since his days at Parchen, because he used to make it when there was a conference of teachers, and his misdeeds came up for judgment. Brasig stood bent up in the corner, with the book under his arm, and tugged alternately at his left and right boot-straps, that his yellow tops might appear to the best advantage. When the gracious Frau came, and went into the living-room, he followed her, quite red from the stooping and his excitement, and Fritz, very pale, went in behind him.
”You wished to speak to me, Herr Inspector?” asked the young Frau, looking now at Brasig, and now at Triddelsitz.