"Yes, Herr von Rambow," said Muchel, "I am going, for once; not on account of the business which my burgher colleagues are moving about, that does not concern me, and I know the difference between nobles and burghers, very well; no! I am only going for once, to show people who I am." Axel then asked, for sake of saying something, if Pomuchelskopp had any intercourse with the people in the neighborhood. "With which of them?" asked Pomuchelskopp. "With the farmer at Rexow? He is a blockhead. With the inspector? He does not suit me. And there is nobody else about here." "Then you don't associate with the Pastor? "No, not with him either. He has behaved in such a manner from the first, that I would have nothing to do with him; he has intercourse with people who do not suit me, and he has adopted the daughter of your inspector, Habermann, and I should be sorry for my daughters to have any acquaintance with her. "I thought she was a very worthy girl," said Axel. "Oh, yes, I dare say," said Pomuchelskopp. "I don't want to say anything bad of the girl,--you see, Herr von Rambow, I am a simple old man,--but I knew Habermann long ago, I will not say that he cheated me at that time, but--no! I have not been pleased at the way and the manner in which she and the young Herr von Rambow have been brought together, by her own father, and the parsonage people." "With my cousin Franz?" asked Axel. "Is his name Franz? I mean the one who was studying here, with Habermann. I don't know him, he never came to my house. But I liked what I heard about him." "He is always writing to her," said Häuning. "No, mother," said Malchen, "you mustn't say that, his letters are always to the Pastor. Our post-boy always brings the Pastor's letters with ours," she explained to Axel. "That is all the same," said Häuning, "I beat the sack, but I mean it for the donkey." "This is the first I have heard of the matter," said Axel, looking annoyed. "Yes!" said Pomuchelskopp, "the whole region knows it. Under the pretence of visiting her father and your sisters, she was always running after him, and when something came between them once, Habermann and the parsonage people soon made it right again." "No, father," said Salchen, "old Bräsig was the chief canal, he was always fetching and carrying." "Who is this old Bräsig?" asked Axel, now really irritated. "He is an old beggar!" cried Häuning. "That he is," said Pomuchelskopp, puffing himself up, "he has got a little pension from the Herr Count, and now he has nothing better to do than to run from one to another, and tell tales of people; and then he is besides----" "No, father," interrupted Malchen, "let me tell that. Herr von Rambow, the old fellow is a democrat, an out and out demo-crat!" "That he is," continued Pomuchelskopp, "and I shouldn't wonder if he was an incendiary as well."