ann, don't take a little
tiff like this to heart, for your sister has a cheerful disposition, and
an affectionate nature, so she'll soon be on good terms with the old
skin-flints again, and they can't get on without her, she's the mainstay
of the household."

"But now," and he pulled an enormous watch out of his pocket, the kind
of watch that is called a warming-pan, "it's seven o'clock, and I must
go and look after my work-people." "Wait," said Hawermann, "I'll go part
of the way with you. Good-by for the present, Joseph." "Good-by,
brother-in-law," said young Joseph from his corner.

As soon as they were out of doors Hawermann asked "I say, Braesig, how
could you speak of the old people in such a way before their son?" "He's
quite accustomed to it, Charles. No one has a good word for the two old
misers, they've quarreled with all the neighbors, and as for the
servants, _they_ take very good care to keep out of the old wretches'
sight." "My poor sister!" sighed Hawermann; "she used to be such a merry
light-hearted girl, and now, shut up in a house with such people, and
such a Nuss (slow) of a man." "You're right enough there, Charles, he is
an old Nuss, and Nuessler (slow-coach) is his name; but _he_ never
bullies your sister, and although he is such an ass that he can manage
nothing himself, he has sense enough to see that your sister is quite
able to keep everything straight." "Poor girl! She married that man for
my sake, to make my way easier for me, she said; and for our old
mother's sake, to give her a comfortable home with one of her children
in her latter days." "I know, I know, Charles. I know it from my own
experience. Don't you remember it was during the rye-harvest, and you
said to me, Zachariah, you said, you must be in love, for you're leading
in your rye quite wet. And I said; how so? On the Sunday before that we
had had spruce-beer, and your sister was one of the party, or else I
shouldn't have led in the rye in such weather. And then I told you that
if I didn't change my mind your sister was the only one of my three
sweethearts that I'd marry. Then you laughed heartily, and said, she was
too young. What has being young to do with it? I asked. And then you
said that my other two sweethearts came first, and so they ought to have
the preference. And then you laughed again, and didn't seem to believe
that I was in earnest. A short time afterward my lord the Count changed
_his_ mind, and said he wouldn't ha