Thus it came about that five weeks later a daughter of Daniel Nothafft
saw the light of the world under Marian's roof.
As soon as the child was born, Marian took a great liking to it, despite
the fact that she had thought of it before its birth only with aversion.
It was a fine little creature: its little legs and arms were delicately
formed, its head was small, there was something peculiarly human about
its first cries and laughter, and it showed quite distinctly that there
was something noble in its character.
The people of Eschenbach were astonished. "Where did the child come
from?" they asked. "Who is its mother? Who is its father?" The records
in the office of the registrar of births showed that Meta Steinhaeger was
the mother of the illegitimate child, Eva Steinhaeger, and that its
father was unknown.
It was to be presumed, however, that widow Nothafft knew the details.
The old women, and the young ones too, came on this account more
frequently now than ever to her shop. They wanted to know how the little
thing was getting along, whether its milk agreed with it, whether it had
begun to teethe, whether it would speak German or some foreign tongue,
and so on.
In order to quiet them, Marian told them that Meta was a poor relative
and that she was bringing up the child at her own expense. It was not
difficult to make this story seem plausible, for Meta had very little to
do with her daughter. Shortly after her confinement, she got a job with
a baker over in Dinkelsbuehl, and never visited Eva more than once a
month. She cared very little for the child. A young fellow in the bakery
had fallen in love with Meta, and wanted to marry her and move to
America.
At Christmas they were married, and left the country at once. Marian was
glad of it: the child now belonged entirely to her.
Though the people soon became accustomed to the existence of their
diminutive fellow-townswoman, Eva was and remained the mysterious child
of Eschenbach.