"How easy is it to preserve the whiteness of our souls while we shut
ourselves out from human intercourse and construct our own fabric of
things and thoughts! But the moment we approach reality every step is
fraught with dangers, and we find ourselves engulfed in all the
quarrels of faction and of party-strife. I longed to taste the peaceful
joys of these villagers; and here I am in the midst of their
contentions, with which the every affections of my heart are
intertwined."
Agnes kept her word. The stolen interview of the lovers broke down the
last barrier of reserve between them. Denial had lost all pretext, now
that they met in secret.
After an interchange of condolence, Hedwig was the first to take a more
cheerful view of the subject.
"Is it true," she asked, "that you are from Lauterbach?"
"Yes."
"Why did you want to deny it, then? There's no shame in it, I'm sure."
"I never denied it.
"Well, isn't it a shame? how people tell stories! They all said that
the reason you were by yourself so much, running about like a poor,
frightened little chick, was that you were afraid they'd tease you
about being from Lauterbach. Why, if you were from Tripstrill you'd
be----"
"What would I be?"
He looked at her so penetratingly that she held her hands over his
eyes; but he kissed her and strained her to his heart. "Dearest!
dearest!" he cried; "it shall, it must, all be well."
"Don't do so," said Hedwig, but without trying to extricate herself: so
he kissed her again. "Now talk to me, and tell me something. What have
you been doing? You don't talk a word."
The teacher pressed her hand to his lips, as if to say that that was
the only language he was capable of uttering. So Hedwig seemed to
understand him, for she said, "No: you must talk to me; I love to hear
you talk so much; and my grandmother always says you have such
beautiful words,--my grandmother thinks so much of you."
Something like moisture must have been glistening in the teacher's
eyes; for she went on:--"Never mind: there's nothing lost yet; and
Constantine had better look out, or he'll find out in some way he don't
like that I'm my own mistress."
Though opposed to tears in theory, she was fast lapsing into the
practice. Rallying herself, "Come," said she; "let's think of nothing
but the present. If it's God's will we should have each other, it'll
come so: no doubt about it. I always think it would have been too good
for this world if things had gone all right from the very first. I
don't know how it is, but that Sunday when I came round the corner of
the house and found you sitting there with grandmother, it seemed as if
a fiery hand was passing across my face, or as if--I can't tell how,
I'm sure."
"Yes; I loved you from that moment."
"Mustn't talk of it!" cried she, looking into her lover's face with
beaming eyes. As a true peasant-girl, the more she loved, the more
dread had she to hear love mentioned. "Talk of something else."
Nevertheless, she was well content to sit in perfect silence, with her
hand in his; while nothing was to be heard but the cooing of the
turtle-doves in their cote and the monotonous tick of the Black Forest
clock.
Agnes, who had wisely absented herself, at length returned.
"Make him talk," said Hedwig, rising. "Ho won't do any thing but look
at me."
Her eye fell to the looking-glass as she passed it; but she quickly
averted it, for she seemed to have seen a perfect stranger, so
unaccountable was the change which had come over the expression of her
features.
The teacher sat motionless, dreaming with open eyes.