ith his feelings. Shortly afterwards he learned by means
of an acquaintance, who had travelled that way, that the horses were
still used with the squire's at Tronkenburg for field labour, and in
the midst of his pain at seeing the world in such a state of disorder,
there arose a feeling of inner contentment as he found there was at
least something like order in his own heart. He invited the
proprietor[4] of the neighbouring lands, who had long entertained the
notion of increasing his possessions by purchasing the pieces of ground
adjoining, and asked him, when he had taken a seat, what he would give
him for his estates in Brandenburg and Saxony, taking house and farm
all in the lump, with or without fixtures. His wife Lisbeth turned
pale as she heard these words. Turning round she took up the youngest
child, who was sporting on the floor behind her, and darted at the
horse-dealer, and a paper which he held in his hand, glances, in which
doubt was depicted, and which passed across the red cheeks of the boy,
who was playing with the ribbons on her neck. The farmer, who observed
his confused manner, asked him what had put so strange a thought all at
once into his head. Kohlhaas, with as much cheerfulness as he could
assume, replied that the notion of selling his farm on the banks of the
Havel was not quite new, that they had both often discussed this matter
already, that his house in the suburbs of Dresden was comparatively a
mere appendage, not to be considered, and finally that if he would
comply with his offer and take both estates, he was quite ready to
conclude the contract. He added, with a kind of forced levity, that
Kohlhaasenbrueck was not the world; that there might be purposes, in
comparison with which that of presiding over one's household, like an
orderly father, was trivial and subordinate, and that in short his
mind, as he was bound to say, was set upon great matters, of which
perhaps the farmer would soon hear. The farmer satisfied with this
explanation, said merrily to the wife, who kissed her child again and
again: "He won't want immediate payment, will he?" and then laying upon
the table the hat and stick he had hitherto carried between his knees,
he took the paper which Kohlhaas had in his hand to read it. Kohlhaas
moving closer to him, explained that this was a conditional contract
which he had drawn up, and which would become absolute in four weeks;
showed that nothing was required but the sign