to be lectured. Now I don't need my playmate nor
anything else while I have you and father. No princess could be happier
than I."

They went on hand in hand. When they reached the farm-house, her
mother, who had come straight home, called to them from the window to
wait until everything should be ready for the visitors, who would soon
be there with their congratulations.

So the two seated themselves in the garden back of the house, on the
terrace beyond the cherry-tree, and the blossoms on the tree were not
richer than the happy thoughts of the young couple.

While they were here under the cherry-tree, Cushion Kate was sitting by
her son; he said:

"Mother, I must get away from here. I will go to Alsace, into a
factory."

"And you will leave me alone," complained the mother for the hundredth
time; and for the hundredth time related, as though it were a comfort,
that Vetturi's grandfather had been one of the Reutershoefen family; and
though he received his portion as a younger son, neither he nor his
descendants had ever been able to get along. Vetturi let his mother
talk, but still insisted that he would go.

"Mother, I'm a burden to you. It makes me ashamed."

"You're not a burden to me, and you shouldn't be ashamed to stay with
your mother. What have I left in the world if you go away? I shall
never want to get up again. I shall never want to make the fire. If you
go away you must take me along."

"We'll see, mother. But first, I will have my pay from Landolin; this
very day I will have it."

With these words he tore himself away, and hurried to the farm-house.

CHAPTER XV.

Just as the farmer's wife had expected, many people returning from the
fair, and many too who had not been there, came to offer their good
wishes upon Thoma's betrothal. She made them welcome, and invited them
to eat and drink.

When Landolin reached home his greeting to the guests was cool and
careless, and he did not look at all like the father of a girl who had
just been happily betrothed to her lover.

People said afterward that they knew then from his manner what he was
likely to do. But who knows whether they were really so wise?

Landolin said to his wife:

"Stop feeding these people. Start them off. Don't be so friendly and
talkative with the herd. It's impudence for them to come to me with
good wishes. I don't want their good wishes."

He then went across the yard and stood awhil