Part 86 (1/2)
”Don't take it ill, Herr Burgomeister; that is what everybody says, but it isn't true. What? Our Herr Pomuchelskopp belongs to the Reformverein, and has made a speech there; but, Herr, he told nothing but lies, and we know better.”
”Well, what do you intend to do?”
”Herr Gustaving is there, and when he tells us to do this or that, we shall do it; but Willgans and I will go to the grand-duke, and give him an account of the matter, and that is what I wanted to ask you, if you would give us some papers to take with us.”
”What do you want with papers?”
”Well, Herr Burgomeister, don't take it ill, there is no harm in it.
You see, I went to the old railroad, without any papers, and they turned me out, of course; but the grand-duke is no railroad, and he would not act so inconsiderately, and if we have no papers to show you can show your nose, Willgans, how the old woman has treated you, and I will show my honest hands, which have never been in any unjust business.”
Upon that, the old man went out, and the laborers crowded around him, and felt in their pockets, and produced the few s.h.i.+llings and groschens they had by them: ”There, now go! The shortest road to Schwerin!” and ”Neighbor, don't forget Kapphingst's girl!” and ”Neighbor, if he asks what we have lived on, you may say honestly we have stolen nothing from our master; but we have helped ourselves to a few of Frau Nussler's potatoes, because she never minded it.”
The two set out for Schwerin, the other day-laborers went home; Johann Jochen drove the empty carriage behind them; the people, who had a.s.sembled in quite a crowd before the burgomeister's door,--for the business had spread through the town like wildfire,--dispersed to their homes, and Uncle Brasig said to Habermann, ”Karl, he is getting his deserts. I went in a moment, not on his account, but for those poor fellows, the laborers; but when he came in, I went away, for I didn't want to see him in his disgrace.”
Pomuchelskopp had gone to Grammelin's, with his dear family, and he sat now, in misery and distress, by the bedside of the Herr Notary; for Slusuhr had gone directly to bed, after his beating, in order that the business might appear to be very serious.
”I have sent for the doctor, and shall have myself examined, so that I can catch the inspector nicely. Strump is not at home, but the other one will be here directly.”
”Ah, how fortunate you are!” said Pomuchel.
”I should not have supposed,” said the Herr Notary, turning on his other side, ”that it was a particular piece of good fortune to get a jacket full of blows from a buckthorn staff, as thick as your thumb.”
”You can avenge yourself, but I,--poor man that I am,--what can I do?”
”You can get a detachment of soldiers, and then you can punish the rascals, within an inch of their lives, and if you are too much of a milksop to do it yourself, employ your wife, she will do it finely.”
”G.o.d bless you! no! no! I have enough on my hands! I can do nothing about Pumpelhagen yet, and I dare not go back to Gurlitz, they will tear my house down over my head. No, no! I shall sell, I shall sell!”
”Shall I tell you some news?” said David, who came into the room, in time to hear the last words, ”you are right, sell; I will look out for you, I know----”
”Infamous Jew rascal!” said Slusuhr, s.h.i.+fting his position again,--”aw!
thunder!--do you think we cannot manage that for ourselves? Yes, Herr Pomuchelskopp, I would sell, for if they don't tear your house down they might get at the barns, and the potato middens.”
”Well, Herr Notary, what will you do?” asked David. ”You have some money; you might manage a farm-house, or a mill, but for an estate like that? You must come to my father.”
”Your father? When he hears that it is for Pomuchelskopp, he will say: 'Cash down!' We three are not in very high credit with him.”
”If I tell him----” began David, but just then the doctor came in, the father of the little a.s.sessor.
”Good morning! You sent for me?” turning to Slusuhr, ”you wanted to see me?”
”Ah, Herr Doctor, you were at the ball last night. Oh, my bruises! You must surely have heard----”
”He got a beating,” said David, ”I am a witness he was dreadfully abused.”
”Will you hold your cursed tongue?” cried Slusuhr. ”Herr Doctor, I wish you would examine me medically; I fear I shall never recover the use of my limbs.”