A GREAT EVENT IN A SMALL HOUSE.
"Yes! I quite forgot to tell you that the Forest Miller"--had Leegart
said, when she was interrupted by loud cries from the house--
"He is found; Joseph is close by."
The women ran out, and asked, "Is any one hurt?"
"Not one--all safe," was the answer.
Leegart remained immoveable in her chair, only placing her feet more
firmly on her footstool, which seemed seized with a sudden trembling.
She took a secret pinch of snuff, to tranquillize her nerves, and
looked at the jacket with a glance signifying, "I have done with you at
last."
"Joseph is here," called out Haespele, who had ran forward before the
rest; "and my jacket is finished," answered Leegart, in the firm
conviction that by her incessant sewing she had preserved Joseph's
life; but as Haespele, in his ignorance, made no remark on this point,
she asked "Where was he found?"
"In the Forest Mill."
"In fact, I need not have asked," rejoined Leegart, glancing round,
with a self satisfied air, "I knew where he was; I pointed out exactly
the way he was sure to take. At the very minute when the cry of his
being found was first heard I was in the act of uttering the words:
'The Forest Miller'--all these women know that this is true."
The most important point for Leegart, was to prove that she was clever
enough to know precisely what was going on, even when she was not there
herself. When they all came into the room, Martina pressed Leegart's
hand warmly--thereby causing her to scatter on the floor a private
pinch of snuff. Leegart said again, "I knew it; I said it. I told them
he was in the Forest Mill: at the very moment that Haespele arrived, I
said the words, 'Forest Miller;' and I prophesy now for you, Martina,
that you will get your Adam at last."
"It is so! it is so! here he is!" exclaimed Martina.
Leegart cast down her eyes modestly; she wished to vindicate her
prophetic gifts, and to shew that she knew it all beforehand. She
nodded emphatically to all who came into the room, as if to say: "I
knew that you would all come here--I knew it long before--I foresaw it
all, and particularly that Adam would come in, holding Joseph by the
hand. I knew all about the wolf too. I only met an adder in the forest,
but the one animal is quite as dangerous as the other. All that has
occurred could not fail to come to pass." Leegart was surprised at
nothing. The expression of her face said, "Nothing is hidden from me;"
and she took a stolen pinch with entire complacency.
"I have three fathers now," exclaimed Joseph; "Leegart, here are my
three fathers."
"Good," said David, "but go to bed now. Martina, take him away. God be
praised, we are all come safe back," shouted he into his wife's ear.
The grandmother nodded, with a pleased face. "Has it been snowing hay?"
asked she, taking some stalks of hay out of her husband's hair. All
laughed, and the deaf grandmother laughed too, and looked earnestly at
each person, guessing, from the motion of their lips, what she could
not hear. She stretched out her hand to Speidel-Roettmann, saying, "Pray
sit down, pray sit down."
Adam went up and shook hands with her of his own accord, bawling into
her ear in his stentorian voice, "God bless you! mother-in-law."
The old woman stepped back suddenly, as if she had received a blow. "I
hear you well enough, I am not so deaf as all that," said she,
retreating to the bench beside the stove, and looking nervously at the
great men and the great dogs.
Schilder-David's house was not made for the Roettmanns. The father and
son almost touched the ceiling when they stood upright.
Little Joseph remained for a time sitting on the knee of
Speidel-Roettmann. David was jealous, and felt almost angry with the
child for taking so quickly to other people.
"Give me your large wolf-dog," said Joseph to grandfather Roettmann, who
said--
"He is yours."
"You are mine; my own;" said Joseph to the dog, but he was obliged to
leave him with his grandfather for the present, as the animal would not
go with him.
"Some one take Joseph to bed instantly," repeated David, in a voice of
authority. His wife understood, by the movement of his lips, what her
husband was saying, so she took Joseph by the hand, and went with him
up to the attic. Scarcely had the door closed behind the grandmother
and grandson, when Leegart stepped forwards with a degree of confidence
and self-assurance that amazed every one, saying deliberately,
"And now, Martina, go and put on your wedding dress. I will assist you,
for you know I always promised that I would. All you men, if you are
true men, take care that Adam and Martina are married this very night.
You can, if you will, and if you insist upon it. The Roettmanns have a
famous opportunity of showing their courage. Speidel can now split
asunder a hard log, and you, Adam, 'The Horse,' may drag it home. What
are you all staring at me for? I say, go straight to our Pastor, and I
tell you the thing will be done. I tell you so, and I always know
pretty well what I say. Come, Martina, that I may dress you. You shall
not hide your face any longer; you have groaned and grieved, and felt
shame long enough. Come along."
She took Martina with her to her room, while every one walked after her
in surprise, but no one spoke a word. Martina soon returned into the
room, prettily dressed. Adam went up to her, and, unseen by the
others, showed her something wrapped up and fastened by a riband
into his purse. He then turned to the others, saying, "Father, and
father-in-law, it is far the best plan. Come with us to our Pastor. He
must make us one this very day."
"He will never do it."
"Let us at least try."
"Don't let us forget the chief point of all," said Schilder-David,
suddenly stopping, "When any one goes to be married they must know
their Catechism, and particularly the Ten Commandments. Can you repeat
them to me, Adam? You say nothing. Here is Joseph's Catechism for you,
go into the next room and look it over quickly."
"I will help you," said Martina, going with Adam into the next room.
This, however, was far from being an easy piece of work. Adam plodded,
and became as hot as fire, but he could not manage to get the Ten
Commandments into his head, especially the order in which they followed
each other; in his agitation of heart, he evidently had no chance of
impressing these Eternal Laws on his memory.
"Does our Joseph know the Ten Commandments by heart?" said Adam to
Martina.
"Yes, indeed, word for word."
Leegart rescued the despairing Adam by coming into the room, and
saying, "Don't delay at present. You are not like other people. The
Pastor will probably ask you no questions on the subject, and, if he
does, you can promise to learn the Commandments afterwards."
"A capital idea," said Adam, in a tone of relief; and closing the book
at once, he felt as if a heavier load was taken off his shoulders, than
on that memorable day when he had carried the cart and the sacks.
He returned with Martina into the sitting-room. The two fathers, and
the bride and bridegroom, wished to leave the house together. Adam
tried to make his mother-in-law aware of what was going on, but she
shrunk from him, putting both hands to her ears; but when David spoke
to her, she nodded. "Shall I stay at home," asked she, "and take care
of Joseph? I will do it if you choose; but you have all done so much,
while I have been sitting at home; and I must say I should like to be
present at my Martina's wedding."
"Leegart will be so kind as to stay with Joseph."
"No! I will not be so kind. I have vowed to be present at Martina's
marriage, and I could not possibly stay away even if I wished it."
Luckily Haespele, the refuge of the destitute, arrived at this moment,
and though he had dressed himself very smartly, and was very proud of
his personal appearance, and especially overjoyed that the wedding was
to take place that very day, naturally expecting to have a conspicuous
place at it, still he was at last persuaded to stay with Joseph by
Martina saying to him:--"Haespele, all your life long you have been most
kind both to the child and to me; be so good as to stay with the child
today."
"Yes, yes, I'll do so of course, not another word," said Haespele, and,
gulping down his disappointment as he best could, he went up to the
attic and sat down by Joseph's bedside.
The two fathers, the mother, and the bridal pair went to the Parsonage,
and a few paces behind followed Leegart alone, looking round at the
houses on every side, where she saw a light, as she went along, and
thinking how little they knew what an unexpected event was about to
take place that night. Leegart heard the sounds of music--it must be
bridal music sounding in the air. To be sure she is the only one who
hears the melody, but she both knows and hears more than most people.
When the wedding party entered the sitting-room of the Parsonage,
Leegart stayed below with the maid in the kitchen; she soon, however,
dispatched her upstairs, that she might throw open the little window of
the kitchen for air, she was in such a state of excitement.