‘Ah, well, I’ll tell you in two words,—it is not long. As soon as she had been confirmed, my sister went into the world to look for work. She got on from place to place, and was much valued, it seems. As for us at home, she occupied herself little about us: only came to see us twice, in all the time; and, since my mother died, not at all. I have met her at Berne, it is true; but she never asked me to come and see where she lived,—only bid me salute the wife and children, and said she would soon come, but she never did. It is true she was not long at Berne, but was much out at service in the neighbouring chateaux, and in French Switzerland, from what I hear. She had busy blood, and a fanciful head, which never could stay long in the same place: but, with that, well-conducted and proof-faithful; [52] and one might trust her fearlessly with anything. At last there came a report that she had married a rich old gentleman, who did that to punish his relations, with whom he was very angry; but I didn’t much believe it, nor much think about it. And then, all of a sudden, I got word that I must go directly to my sister if I wanted to see her alive, and that she lived in the country by Morat. So I set out, and got there in time to see her die; but was not able to say much to her. As soon as she was buried, I came back as fast as I could. I was in a hurry to get home, for since I first set up house I had never lost so much time about the world.’ ‘What’s that?—lost so much time, indeed!’ cried Madame the Syndic. ‘Ah, nonsense;—with your fifty thousand crowns, are you going to keep carrying brooms about the country?’ ‘But very certainly, Madame the Syndic,’ said Hansli, ‘I only half trust the thing; it seems to me impossible I should have so much. After all, they say it can’t fail; but be it as it will, I shall go on living my own life: so that if there comes any hitch in the business, people shan’t be able to say of me, “Ah, he thought himself already a gentleman, did he? Now he’s glad to go back to his cart!” But if the money really comes to me, I shall leave my brooms, though not without regret; but it would all the same, then, make the world talk and laugh if I went on; and I will not have that.’ ‘But that fortune is in safe hands,—it runs no danger?’ asked M. the Syndic. ‘I think so,’ said Hansli. ‘I promised some money to the man, if the heritage really came to me; then he got angry, and said, “If it’s yours, you’ll have it; and if it isn’t, money won’t get it: for the expenses and taxes, you’ll have the account in proper time and place.” Then I saw the thing was well placed; and I can wait well enough, till the time’s up.’ ‘But, in truth,’ said Madame the Syndic, ‘I can’t understand such a sangfroid! One has never seen the like of that in Israel. That would make me leap out of my skin, if I was your wife.’ ‘You had better not,’ said Hansli, ‘at least until you have found somebody able to put you into it again.’