Part 11 (2/2)

”I cannot double myself when I visit you; but I will come oftener if you like.”

It now happened, as it often had before with prisoners, that Landolin looked for her visit as a diversion, and that was something gained.

”Has t.i.tus been here, and taken a look at the tower where I shut am up?

Or perhaps he has not wanted to see me. I'll say beforehand I won't see him,” said Landolin, angrily.

Madame Pfann saw that his thoughts were occupied with his rival, so she said that no one should rejoice in another's misfortune, for every one has his own secret sorrow.

”Has he? Has anything happened to him?” asked Landolin, eagerly.

The lady said: ”No!” and then turned the conversation to his childhood.

He related his boyish pranks, and laughed heartily over them; but still he censured his father for having yielded to him in everything, except once when he wanted to marry the Galloping Cooper's sister, for whom he had had a fancy. He even complained of his wife for having always yielded to him. He said he was the most grateful of men when any one kept him from his wild pranks, even though at first he rebelled against the restraint. Then he stopped short. He was afraid he had betrayed himself, and protested solemnly that he was innocent of Vetturi's death.

Madame Pfann asked, ”Would you like me to have some flowering plants brought here?”

Landolin laughed aloud and said: ”I don't want anything with me except my dog.”

She promised to see that he should have it. She soon found that it really was a very deep grief and trouble, that Thoma did not come to see him.

Madame Pfann went to Reutershofen, and listened patiently to his wife's lament that her life was changed since her husband's hat hung no longer on its accustomed nail. When Thoma came in after a long delay, the kind-hearted lady was touched by her appearance, and told her that she could well imagine her grief, in having been plunged in one day from the highest joy to the deepest sorrow.

Thoma trembled. She had never before placed the two events so close together. Madame Pfann felt the awkwardness of her remark, and endeavored to rea.s.sure her by saying that she had no doubt that she could adjust the difficulty with Anton, for he had great confidence in her. Thoma soon became more composed, but she was still silent.

Madame Pfann urged her strongly to lighten her father's imprisonment by visiting him.

”You mean it well, I know,” replied Thoma, ”you are very good, but I cannot; I cannot go down the road, and up the prison stairs, and I should be no comfort to my father, quite the contrary. It is better as it is.”

”It is not better, only more comfortable, more easy for you; you will not conquer yourself.”

Thoma was silent.

Madame Pfann arranged for Tobias to take the dog to its master.

She then went to see Cus.h.i.+on-Kate, who called out:

”You went to Landolin's first. I'll not let you into my house.”

She bolted the door and Madame Pfann went quietly homeward.

CHAPTER XXIII.

”The house is changed when the husband's hat no longer hangs on its accustomed nail,” the farmer's wife often said. Her thoughts were not many, but those she had she liked to repeat like a pater noster.

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