"Please God, that shall never be necessary. We will be of one mind, and
bear joy and sorrow in loving fidelity, as my mother used to say."
"We will show the world that we live honestly together."
"Shall I set the musical clock going?"
"No, we have had enough for to-day."
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE FIRST NAIL IS DRIVEN.--PEACE ON THE HEIGHTS,
AND THE FIRST SUNDAY GUEST.
The next morning Annele was again on friendly terms with Franzl, and
complimenting her good management. "I have never given you anything,
Franzl," she said; "would you rather have a gown or some money?"
"Money would please me best."
"Then here are two crowns for you."
Lenz gladly added the same amount when Franzl showed him Annele's
present. How thoughtful she is, he said to himself, and how careful
always to do just the right thing! It never would have occurred to me
to make Franzl a present; and yet only yesterday she was talking of
sending her away. "She is a dear, foolish, hasty child," he added
aloud. "Just like our young burgomaster's wife at home," interposed
Franzl; "who, as the weight-manufacturer's wife once said, always
planned for seven visitors when there were but six chairs, so that one
had to go bobbing about while the others were seated." Lenz laughed.
"We Knuslingers know a thing or two, I assure you. See now how quickly
your wife has brought everything to order. Most women would have been
three days about it, and have stumbled a dozen times and broken half
the things to pieces. Your wife has no left hand. She is right hand all
over,"--a compliment which much pleased Annele, when Lenz repeated it
to her.
She showed now a new accomplishment. Lenz asked her to drive a nail
above his father's file. She struck it firmly and squarely on the head
at the first blow, and on the nail thus first driven in her new home he
made her hang his mother's picture.
"That is good," he said. "If it is not just like her, it has her eyes,
and, please God, they shall look down on a fair, good, happy life. We
will make it such a life that she may always have pleasure in beholding
it."
Only do not make a saint of her, Annele wanted to say, but checked
herself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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