of dismissing through groundless anxiety the best servant
they had ever had. But that was the way he always did--when she wanted
him to speak he would keep still, and when she wanted him to keep still
he would always meddle. She, Freneli, should keep her eyes open, and if
she saw anything out of the way she was to tell her. But from Freneli
the old woman got little comfort; she acted as if the whole affair were
none of her business. Elsie could not refrain from talking to Freneli
about Uli--how fine and handsome he was, and how she wouldn't take her
oath that she wouldn't marry him yet; if her people angered her by
refusing to do what she wanted, they'd just see what she'd do. She
wouldn't take long to think about it, and she'd only have to say the
word and Uli would go and have the banns published. Then, when Freneli
would say little to all this, Elsie would accuse her of being jealous.
Or when Freneli would talk to her and tell her not to make a fool of
Uli, whom she didn't really want, or would tell her not to grieve her
parents in this way, Elsie would accuse her of wanting Uli herself and
of trying to entice her away from him in order to climb up in the world;
but Uli wouldn't take such a penniless pauper as she--he was too shrewd
for that. She needn't imagine that she could get a husband so easily;
the poorest servant would think twice before he'd take a poor girl,
and twice again before he'd take a bastard--that was the greatest
disgrace there was.

[Illustration: THE BATH BENJAMIN VAUTIER]

Although Freneli felt such speeches deeply she would give no sign of it,
would neither weep nor scold, but say at most, "Elsie, that you're not a
bastard too isn't your fault; and that you haven't one by now isn't your
fault either."

The hardest thing for Freneli was to regulate her conduct toward Uli.
The more Elsie's money went to his head, the more he felt himself drawn
to Freneli; he could not bear to have her give him short answers or to
seem angry with him, and tried in every way to pacify her and win her
favor. He often fled from Elsie, and never sought her out; he never fled
from Freneli, but often looked for her; while Freneli fled from him and
Elsie ran after him. Freneli wanted to be short and dry with Uli, and
still, with the best intentions, she often could not but be friendly
with the friendly lad, and at times forgot herself and would spend two
or three minutes chatting and laughing with him. When Elsie happ