sed when he saw Anna with his sister. Trudi whipped up the
cobs, regardless of his feelings, and tore past him, scattering the sand
right and left. When she was abreast of him, she winked her eye at him
with perfect solemnity.

Axel looked stony.

CHAPTER XI

Neither Trudi nor Anna had ever worked so hard as they did during the
few days that ended March and began April. Everything seemed to happen
at once. The house was in a sudden uproar. There were people
whitewashing, people painting, people putting up papers, people bringing
things in carts from Stralsund, people trimming up the garden, people
coming out to offer themselves as servants, Dellwig coming in and
shouting, Manske coming round and glorifying--Anna would have been
completely bewildered if it had not been for Trudi, who was with her all
day long, going about with a square of lace and muslin tucked under her
waist-ribbon which she felt was becoming and said was an apron.

Trudi was enjoying herself hugely. She saw Jungbluth's waves slowly
straightening themselves out of her hair, and for the first time in her
life remained calm as she watched them go. She even began to have
aspirations towards Uncle Joachim's better life herself, and more than
once entered into a serious consideration of the advantages that might
result from getting rid at one stroke of Bill her husband, and Billy and
Tommy her two sons, and from making a fresh start as one of Anna's
twelve.

Frau Manske and Frau Dellwig could not face her infinite
superciliousness more than once, and kept out of the way in spite of
their burning curiosity. When Dellwig's shouts became intolerable, she
did not hesitate to wince conspicuously and to put up her hand to her
head. When Manske forgot that it was not Sunday, and began to preach,
she would interrupt him with a brisk "_Ja, ja, sehr schoen, sehr schoen,
aber lieber Herr Pastor_, you must tell us all this next Sunday in
church when we have time to listen--my friend has not a minute now in
which to appreciate the opinions of the _Apostel Paulus_."

"I believe you are being unkind to my parson," said Anna, who could not
always understand Trudi's rapid German, but saw that Manske went away
dejected.

"My dear, he must be kept in his place if he tries to come out of it.
You don't know what a set these pastors are. They are not like your
clergymen. If you are too kind to that man you'll have no peace. I
remember in my father's time he came