Annele, however, was not yet dressed, though at his earnest and repeated entreaty, she gave him one hand through the door of her room. She would not let him see her, but handed him out red ribbons and cockades, to give to the servant to put on the harness and the whip. At last--at last she appeared, so smartly dressed! "Is the carriage ready?" was her first word. "No." "Why did you not see that it was ready? Tell Gregor to put on his postilion's livery, and take his horn with him." "Oh, no! don't! Why should he do that?" "We are to show ourselves to everybody, we have no leave to ask of any one, and every one must look round as we pass." At last they got in. When they passed the Doctor's house, Annele said to Gregor: "Blow now! blow loud! The Doctor's daughters are sure to look out, and they shall see that we are driving out together. I declare! not a living creature to be seen, and the window in the corner room shut. They are there sure enough, however. They are bursting with rage inside there, and they must take some notice of us, in spite of themselves, for I know that the old grandmother is quite sure to ask, 'Who is blowing that horn?' I should like to be behind the door to hear them all discussing us." "Annele, you are in a strange mood to-day!" "Why not? I think you so goodlooking today. People are right in saying that you have such honest bright eyes. I really did not know till today that you were so goodlooking." Lenz's face beamed with delight, which made him look still handsomer. "I ought to get a new fashionable set of clothes, don't you think so?" said Lenz. "No, remain as you are. You look more solid and respectable as you are." "It does not only look so, but it is really so." "Yes, indeed it is so. But pray don't speak as if every word were a prong in a watchwheel." "You are right." They drove through the next village, and Annele again desired Gregor to blow his horn with all his might! "Look! look! there is Ernestine, the grocer's wife. She is a cousin of mine, and was long a servant in our house, and then married a tailor, who afterwards became a grocer. She can't bear me; she will be so spiteful that her green face will turn blue, when she sees us drive past without our calling on her. Ah, ha! there she comes to the window. Oh, yes! stare out your pig eyes, and gape till you show your long teeth. Yes, it is Lenz and I,--look well at my bridegroom! Much good may it do you!" They drove on. "Now, does that give you any pleasure, Annele?" asked Lenz. "Why not? We ought to be spiteful to spiteful people, and kind to the good. Both are right." "Perhaps; but I can't be so." "You ought to be glad, then that you have got me. They shall all creep into a mousehole before us, and be glad if we only look at them."