Part 156 (2/2)
Hansei observed that his wife was growing pale.
”Who is this man? Who is it that talks to you in this high and mighty manner?” he asked, drawing himself up.
”Be quiet!” said Walpurga. ”He is one of the court gentlemen and is fond of joking.”
”That's it, is it?” muttered Hansei. ”I want to say a word to you, sir--what may your name be?”
”Count Wildenort.”
”Well then, Count, I didn't ask who you were, and I bade you and your horse welcome. And now I'd like you to tell me what you want and leave my wife alone. In my house and home, I allow no jokes that don't please me, and if the king himself were to come and try a joke that I didn't like, I'd put him out! No offense, but every one must say what he thinks. Now, sir, take a seat.”
Hansei put on his hat and pressed it down firmly, as if to show that he was master here.
Bruno said, with a smile:
”You've a good husband, Walpurga.”
”That'll do,” said Hansei, interrupting him. ”What do you wish, Count?”
”Nothing out of the way. They tell me you have a shepherd's hut on your mountain meadow, and I hear it is the finest in all the Highlands.”
”Yes, yes,” said Hansei, grinning. ”It isn't so bad and it's very nicely situated; but I won't sell it.”
”I don't want to buy it. All I want is to spend the day up there.”
”Why, how do you mean?”
”Are there good roads leading to it, and is the place clean? Is there a chance of coming back without bringing a herd along on one's body?”
”You're right, Walpurga, he's quite funny,” whispered Hansei to his wife, and then, turning to Bruno, he said:
”The roads are good, and if you don't mind going an hour's distance out of the way, you can ride almost to the very spot. I can show you the way up if you wish it.”
”Certainly; my wife and mother-in-law would like to see the place.”
Walpurga was alarmed at the danger that threatened Irma, but quickly collecting herself she said, as if jesting:
”No, Count; women can't go up there. Such as we are can do it, of course; but, even then, we have to turn our petticoats into breeches.”
She laughed heartily, and Bruno laughed, too. He imagined his mother-in-law in this costume. She had tried many in her life, but never such an one.
The only object of his errand had been to enable him, under the pretext of having received authentic information, to dissuade his mother-in-law from her plan which, if carried out, would have subjected him to a day of bitter slavery. He well knew that nothing would be right, and that he would be obliged to swallow her reproaches and scoldings, just as if it were his fault that they chanced now upon a swamp, now upon a hill, and that while, at the shepherd's hut, they might feed their eyes on mountains of ice, they could not have vanilla ices with which to satisfy the palate. He knew all about these pleasure-parties, at which he generally felt as if he must die of vexation. Walpurga found an opportunity to tell her husband to use all the means in his power to dissuade the count from visiting their mountain meadow. And so when Hansei went out into the stable with the count, who was looking for his horse, he laughed till he showed every tooth in his head while he said:
”There's a relation of ours up there, and she's a little bit out of her mind.”
Walpurga also came out into the stable, for she feared that her husband might betray something. Bruno asked her whether she knew what had become of her friend.
Walpurga shook her head and wept.
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