CHAPTER X.
MAN PROPOSES, BUT GOD DISPOSES.
Still no news came from Dietrich. Jost made many attempts to show Veronicahow much he wished to win her favor. He often went to meet her, and hegave himself endless trouble to convince her of his attachment. He couldnot boast that he made himself of any use by going to meet her; for shewas always accompanied by Blasi, who marched by her side with a triumphantair as if to say, "Jost can judge for himself who holds the place of honorhere!" When Jost joined them, Veronica took care that Blasi should walkbetween herself and the intruder, and she neither said a word herself,nor seemed to hear what the others were saying. Jost grew pale withsuppressed rage. Whenever at other times he met Blasi anywhere, he threwcontemptuous words at him. If occasionally Blasi stepped into the Rehbockfor a glass of beer, Jost would cry out,
"Oh ho, she allows it to-night, does she, you donkey of a servant? Howwill you look when she doesn't want your services any longer, and givesyou your dismissal? She is already beginning to soften towards me, butuntil she comes to me and begs me to hear her, I won't listen to a word,nor pay the slightest attention to her."
Such remarks as these, thrown out before all the company at the Rehbockwere very exasperating to Blasi and several times he seized the big bowlto throw it at the insolent fellow's head. He did not throw it however,for Veronica had charged him to have as little as possible to do withJost, and especially never to quarrel with him, and Veronica's influenceover Blasi grew stronger every day. So he did not throw the bowl, butinstead, drained it to the bottom and then left the room.
About this time Blasi began to meet Judith very often on his evening walk.Judith seemed to have some business that took her frequently to Fohrensee.Strange surmises were aroused, among the Fohrensee people; for it wasknown that she went to visit the cattle-dealer. The two were often seenstanding before his house in the open street, gesticulating vehementlywith hands and arms. The people about said,
"Something's in the wind. They're going to be married. To be sure she iscleverer than he, but then he is twenty-five years younger, and thatcounts for something."
One evening in January, Judith met Blasi as he was coming round the cornerof Gertrude's house, where he was always at work till it was time to gofor Veronica.
"What makes you go about laughing all the time, and looking as if you hadbeen winning a game?" asked Judith.
"That's exactly what I was going to ask you," retorted Blasi, "What haveyou got to laugh about?"
"Answer me, and I'll answer you, my lad."
"All right; it's nothing to be ashamed of. She'll have me."
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Judith "Who? Which one?"
Blasi did not turn round, but pointed with his thumb over his shoulder atthe house he had just left. "That one," he said.
Judith shouted with laughter.
"Will she have you all three?" she said; "first Dietrich, then Jost, andnow you."
"I don't see the joke," said Blasi crossly. "Dietrich has run away; sheavoids Jost as if he were a nettle, and who else is there? Who is therefor her to call upon if she wants help, hey?"
Judith was still snickering over the news.
"Now it's your turn," said Blasi, "tell me what it is that you're sopleased about."
"It is very much like yours, Blasi; come a little nearer," and shewhispered in his ear, "I have him."
"Mercy on us!" cried Blasi. "You will be as rich as a Jew, for thecattle-dealer is worth more than half the people in Fohrensee, all puttogether."
"I'm not talking about the cattle-dealer."
"Pshaw! whom are you talking about then?"
"Somebody else, and I have him in such a fashion that he will not forgetit in a hurry, I tell you!"
As she spoke, Judith made a gesture with her hands as if she were chokingsome one, who certainly would not escape alive from her clutches.
Blasi shook his head and walked on in silence. But in his inmost mind hethought, "I can't make anything out of her; her head is all in a buzz. Butshe's only a woman."
Soon after, they reached the turf-hut, and there they separated. Veronicawas not far off; and as she came up Blasi joined her, and they walkedquickly along over the crisp, frozen ground. She was more silent thanusual, and seemed sunk in thought. In the middle of the wood she stoppedsuddenly and said,
"Blasi will you do me a great favor?"
"I will do anything in the world for you, Veronica," was the prompt reply,"I will jump into the big pond over there, and never come out again, ifyou want me to."
"You couldn't get in now; it is frozen hard," said the girl, laughing. "Idon't want you to do that, but something very different. Do you think youcould find out what Jost knows about Dietrich? Perhaps he has told Jostwhere he is, and where a letter would reach him."
"Yes, but look here, Veronica, are you still thinking about him, all thistime?" asked poor Blasi, quite taken aback.
"We will not talk about that," she answered curtly. "To tell the truth, Iam very anxious about our mother. She has been very far from well lately,and she says every now and then, 'If I could only see him once more!' asif she felt that she was not going to live much longer. Oh, help me getword to Dietrich if you can, Blasi! do help me!" Veronica's eyes were fullof tears, as she raised them beseechingly to Blasi's face. He was muchtouched at the sight of her tears; but then a great fear arose in hismind, for he thought, "She is beginning to soften, and it will all turnout just as Jost said." And he determined to prevent it at any cost.
"Don't lose your courage, and I'll try my best! I'll see what I can do!"he said in a very decided tone, and with a most courageous air.
"You are my only friend now," said Veronica; and the words spurred Blasion to immediate action. He left her in the doorway, and hastened away. Hewould find out all that Jost could or would tell about Dietrich. He ranacross to the Rehbock, where he found Jost sitting with his glass. For ifJost, as he complained, had to sit and work all the morning, while othersdid as they pleased, yet he made enough money by his work to allow him tospend all his afternoons at the Rehbock, and remain, drinking one glassafter another, all through the evening, and late into the night.
Blasi seated himself by his side, and opened his case very skilfully. Hewanted to know about their old friend; where he was now, and whether therewas any chance of getting a line sent to him. He did not mind paying for adrink to-night, he said, if Jost would tell him exactly what he knew aboutDietrich; they ought to hang together, they three, who had known eachother ever since they were children. While Blasi was discoursing in thisclever manner, Jost looked squintingly at him, and when he stopped, heanswered scoffingly,
"Oh, so she has come to it at last, has she? I have been expecting it. Yougo back and tell her that I can give her all the information she wants;but she must come to me for it, herself, and speak pleasantly to me, as Ido to her. Tell her that she will never see him again, as long as shelives; he is too far off. But if she wants to send him a message, she hasbut to come to me and ask, and I will do her that favor, and she can do meone in return. Go now, Blasi, and tell her this from me. I'll pay for thebeer myself."
Blasi felt stunned. Jost had seen through his little game at a glance, andtreated it with contempt. How could he carry such a message to Veronica?It might bring the tears into her eyes again, and that was altogether toopainful to see. There was no use in remonstrating with Jost, who sat theresmiling scornfully without farther words. For the first time in his life,Blasi left his glass unfinished. He pulled his cap down over his eyes andleft the inn. When he entered the widow's cottage, Veronica sat by thetable, stitching away at the old mail-bag. She put it down as he came in,and looked up anxiously into his face.
"It's no use; he is just splitting with rage and fury;" and Blasi threwhis cap across into the farthest corner of the room. He related the wholeconversation and it was plain enough that it was useless for him to try toget anything out of Jost.
She was silent for a time; thinking over Jost's words. "He wa
nts to humbleme! I am to go and beseech him to tell me; and I must be friendly and dohim a favor. What favor? No, I will have nothing to do with him."
She took up the bag again, stitched up the last hole, and folded the work.Then she said,
"May I ask one thing more of you, Blasi? I hope I shall be able to repayyou some day for all your kindness."
"Only speak, Veronica," said Blasi, "I will do anything you ask. If youwant me to, I will go to find Dietrich, even if I have to go on foot allthe way to Australia."
"Oh, it is no such long journey as that. I am sorry to ask you to do adisagreeable errand, but you see Mother is much disturbed because thismail-bag has not been sent back. She seems to be in a hurry to haveeverything finished and settled up--as if she had no time to lose."Veronica paused, and the tears that it so troubled Blasi to see, filledher eyes to overflowing. "I promised mother that the bag should be senthome early tomorrow morning, and you see I have no one but you to ask. Youcan't leave your work in the daytime and at evening you have to go to meetme; so there is no time but the very early morning before work hours."
"I will take it if it snows cats and dogs; but where is it to go?"
"It is not a pleasant walk, unless you go a long way round by thehigh-road. The bag belongs at the post-office at the Valley bridge. Doyou think you could get down the steep foot-path in this deep snow? Ishould feel dreadfully if anything were to happen to you, Blasi."
Blasi was not afraid. He was proud to show Veronica that she might counton his courage, where he had only the forces of nature to contend against,and not the treacherous tricks of Jost.
Veronica had a hard battle with herself that night. "Must I do it?" sheasked herself again and again, and each time her heart revolted and shegroaned aloud, "I cannot, oh, I cannot!"
Then the image of Gertrude rose before her, pale and suffering, and sheheard her heart-rending words, "If I could only see him once more!"Veronica could not sleep, nor could she come to any decision.
Next morning it seemed that Blasi was to be taken at his word, and hisboast of being ready for service, no matter what the weather might be, wasto be put to the proof; for it stormed furiously and the wind blew sofiercely when he left the house, that he could scarcely make way againstit. The half-frozen snow stung and blinded him, but it did not deter him.He forced his way onwards, and though it was still dark and he could notsee one step before him, he went on as confidently and unhesitatingly asif there were no chance of his losing his way. And he did not lose it.When day dawned he found himself close to the Valley-bridge, in spite ofdeep snows and stinging sleet.
"You are early," said the post master, who was busy sorting his letters bylamplight. Blasi answered that he had to be at work by sunrise, andhaving delivered the bag and received the pay for it, he started for homeagain. He had scarcely gone twenty steps when the post-master called afterhim,
"Hulloa! Blasi, you can do a neighborly kindness if you will, and it won'tcost you anything;" and he handed Blasi a letter.
"It is for the old Miller's widow, over there. Jost fetches her lettershimself, usually; it is marked "To be called for," but he'll be glad to bespared the walk such a day as this. You can tell him he needn't cometo-day, you know."
Blasi took the letter. The Miller's widow was an old deaf woman, who livedquite alone, in a little, tumble-down cottage, just off the road, on alonely hillside. The foot-path that Blasi took, led near her dwelling. Thewoman was an aunt of Jost's, and had known better days when her husbandwas alive; but now she had fallen into poverty, and had grown sour andbitter, and would have nothing to do with the rest of the world. Blasiworked his way to her hut, through the deep, pathless snow. As heapproached the door, he took the letter from his pocket, and looked at theaddress.
"Heavens and earth and all the rest of it! It is from Dietrich!" he criedout. "I didn't copy all his work at school for nothing. I know hishand-writing as well as I know anything!"
He talked aloud in his excitement, as he stood hammering away at the door,which the old woman was not very prompt in opening. At last he opened ithimself, and came stamping into the room. The widow was sitting on a benchby the stove, picking wool. She had not heard his knocks, and she staredat him with amazement. He explained how he came by the letter, but she wastoo deaf to understand him. Then he held the letter close under her eyes,and shouted in her ear,
"Read it! I want to know what's in it. It's from Dietrich."
She pushed the letter away and said sharply,
"It don't belong to me. I never get any letters. Take it away."
Blasi was fairly out of patience.
"That's your name, any way," he said. "I'll read it to you; I want to knowwhat he says." He tore the letter open and began to read:
"HAMBURG, 14th Jan., 18--
"My Dear Jost:"
Blasi started, but he read on. It was a short letter, and he read itthrough twice.
"Will you get out?" said the old woman crossly, for Blasi stood as ifrooted to the floor. He stuffed the letter back into the torn cover, andwent out, but stopped again outside. What should he do? The letter wasJost's. He was afraid of Jost, and he had opened Jost's letter! Presentlyan idea struck him, and he instantly acted on it. He stuck the envelopetogether as well as he could, ran through the storm back to thepost-office, tossed in the letter quickly, saying, "The old woman saysit's not for her, and she won't take it," and was off again on hishomeward way.
As for Veronica, she had but one thought in her mind all that day.Gertrude was so ill when she went to her bed-side in the morning, thatVeronica's heart at once cried out, "It must be done!" and all day longshe kept repeating to herself, "It shall be done to-night."
When Blasi went to meet her that evening, he was so full of his news thathe could scarcely wait to greet her, before beginning to tell it; but hewas so startled by her looks that instead, he stopped short, andexclaimed,
"What is the matter? Are you ill? Sit down and rest, in the hut, here."
Veronica shook her head; she could not lose a moment, she said, for shewas in a hurry to get home, and was not in the least ill. Then Blasiblurted out his story; he was so eager, that he could scarcely get thewords out straight. Veronica listened with breathless attention. Suddenly,such a happy radiance spread over her face, that Blasi stood still andgazed at her.
"Hamburg! did you say Hamburg, Blasi? Was that where the letter camefrom?" Her eyes danced with joy; Blasi had never seen her look like thatbefore.
"Certainly it was; I am sure of it; I can read Dietrich's writing fastenough," answered Blasi, and he added to himself, "The women-folk arequeer creatures. No fellow can understand them. A moment ago she lookedall broken-down, and as if she could be blown out with a puff of wind,and now she looks bright and strong as the sun at noon-day."
"Repeat word for word what you read in the letter, please, Blasi," and hetold her all that he could remember. It did not take long. Dietrich saidthat he had not much to say, but wrote because Jost was the only person inthe world who cared anything for him. Perhaps some day his mother wouldcome to feel differently; but since he had brought so much trouble uponher, he could not expect her to forgive him yet. If Veronica was going tomarry some one else, he did not want to hear about it. He could not makeup his mind to go to Australia as Jost advised; it was too far away; hewas almost dead of homesickness even in Hamburg. If they were after himfor the man-slaughter, he thought he could hide well enough there, andperhaps in a few years when the whole thing was forgotten, he could comehome again.
If worst came to worst, and he were taken, he should at least get home, ifonly to be put into the House of Correction. He felt the worst on hismother's account. He wanted Jost to write and tell him about things athome, and it was safest to send to the same address, as he always calledfor the letters himself.
Veronica hung upon every word that fell from Blasi's lips, and when he hadfinished, she walked silently by his side, deep in thought. Presently heasked her what he should
do if Jost found out that he had opened hisletter and hauled him up before a Justice of the Peace for it. Veronicasaid she believed that Jost would scarcely care to say anything about theletter. She advised Blasi to keep his own counsel, and to behave as usual,in a perfectly unconcerned manner, whenever he met Jost. She would takethe rest in hand herself. Blasi was more than willing to leave it all toher; he had entire confidence in her ability to manage the affair. Theletters of all the country round were collected at the central office inFohrensee, to be forwarded together from there to the nearest city, wherethey were sorted and distributed. Veronica thought of this, and laid herplans accordingly. The next day as soon as she reached Fohrensee, she wentto the post-office, and asked to see the address of a letter which hadjust been sent in, on its way to Hamburg. The post-master, who knew herwell, did not think the request at all singular, supposing that it hadsomething to do with the school business.
"A letter for Hamburg came in last evening;" said his daughter who was hisassistant, "there it lies with the others that came with it."
The postmaster went to the table and found the letter, which he handed toVeronica. "The address is not very nicely written," he said.
The handwriting was either that of a person unused to the pen, or it waspurposely disguised. The letter was addressed to a woman of the same nameas that of the miller's widow. The name of the street was illegible, butthe words "To be called for," were plainly written.
Veronica was convinced that the letter she was in search of lay beforeher. So Jost had written as she had expected he would do, the day before.He had undoubtedly seen that Dietrich's letter had been opened. Did hewrite so promptly in order to frighten Dietrich into going farther away?Had he suggested to him a new address now that the old one had beendiscovered? She felt sure that Jost was trying to prevent anyone buthimself from having any communication with Dietrich. There was not amoment to lose. What would she not have given to be able to withhold theletter! But she did not dare. She returned it to the postmaster and askedfor a piece of paper. Her hand trembled with excitement and her heart beatso loud, that she thought the post-master must hear it.
She wrote the following words:
"Dear Dietrich; your mother is very weak. Come home directly. You havenothing to fear. Veronica."
She enveloped it, and addressed it as Jost had done his, and handed it tothe post-master.
"I thank you very much indeed," she said, "will you kindly see that thisletter goes by this morning's mail?"
"Yes, yes, I understand; it's a thread-and-needle business," he saidlaughing, as he threw the letters down on the same pile. "They will travelside by side and reach Hamburg together."
All day Veronica's hand trembled at her work. Outwardly she was tranquiland composed; but within was a storm of conjectures, fears and hopes. Whathad Jost written to Dietrich about his mother; what about her? Jost hadevidently let him believe that he had killed a man. What reason had Jostfor deceiving him and keeping him at a distance? These questions broughtthe color to Veronica's cheeks as she suspected what the answers might be.Did Jost think that she would marry him if Dietrich did not come back? orwere there other reasons why he did not dare to let him come? All sorts ofpossible solutions flew through Veronica's head, and the conclusion shearrived at frightened her. She did not wish to suspect any one of being arogue without good reason; yet the evidence seemed in this case to beirresistible. If Dietrich came home, everything would be cleared up. Butif he did not come, what then? Would everything have to be allowed to goon as it was? She would talk it all over with Gertrude this very evening.