u now, either; I don't
want a fellow who has gone around sweethearting with such a withered
grass-blade as that.' She's bound to give me that answer. And still I
thought of Freneli more than I did of Elsie all through the affair; only
now I begin to see that I've loved Freneli more and more, and if I had
the girl I'd guarantee to take over a farm and make more on it than
anybody else. But now it's too late; she won't have me; she's awfully
peculiar."

"Ho!" said Johannes, "never lose your courage as long as a girl's
single. They're the queerest sort of ducks and generally do just the
opposite of what you expect. If that's the way it is I'd have a try; the
girl pleases me."

"No, master, I wouldn't ask that girl for a hundred crowns. I know well
enough that it will almost break my heart if I have to go away from her
and can't see her every day any more. But if I asked her and she should
despise me and say no, I think I'd hang myself on the garret ladder. By
the Almighty, I couldn't stand it if another man led her off to church;
I believe I'd shoot him. But she won't marry, she'll stay single."

Then Johannes began to laugh very heartily and asked how he knew that
such a girl, twenty-three years old, would stay single.

[Illustration: IN AMBUSH BENJAMIN VAUTIER]

"Oh," said Uli, "she won't have anybody; I don't know who'd be good
enough for her."

Now Johannes said they had better think about getting home before church
was out; he didn't wish to run into the church-goers. Uli followed him,
speaking little, and what he said was concerned only with Freneli, now
one thing and then another, and he asked Johannes to promise that he
wouldn't let a word that Uli had told him cross his lips. "You
simpleton," said Johannes, "who should I tell?"

Meanwhile Uli's mistress had long since been quivering with impatience,
and as soon as Uli and his old master entered the room she said to him,
"Go up to the room we slept in and see what Freneli's doing. Tell her to
pack up; we want to start out." Uli found the girl standing before a
table, folding up one of her aunt's aprons. He stepped softly up behind
her, put his arm about her quite gently, and said, "Your aunt's in a
hurry." Freneli turned swiftly about, and looked silently up at Uli, as
if surprised at this unwonted familiarity, and the latter asked, "Are
you still angry at me?"

"I've never been angry at you," she replied.

"Then give me a kiss; you've never given me one