And now, just as if she had begun it, as if she herself had struck up the tune, her companions ahead began to sing the song that had risen to her lips that morning: "There were two lovers in Allgau, Who loved each other so dear; And the young lad went away to war; When comest thou home again? Ah, that I cannot, love, tell thee, What year, or what day, or what hour!" And then the "Good Night" song was sung; and Amrei, in the distance, joined in: "A fair 'good night' to thee, love, farewell! When all are sleeping Then watch I'm keeping, So wearily. A fair "good night" to thee, love, farewell! Now I must leave thee, And joy be with thee, Till I come back. And when I come back, then I'll come to thee, And then I'll kiss thee, That tastes so sweetly,-- Love, thou art mine! Love, thou art mine, and I am thine, And that doth content me, And shall not repent thee, Love, fare thee well!" At last they came to the village, where one group after another detached itself. Barefoot paused under the tree by her father's house, and stood there for a long time in dreamy meditation. She would have liked to go in and tell Black Marianne everything, but gave up the idea. Why should she disturb the old woman's rest at night? What good would it do? She went quietly home, where everybody was asleep. When she finally entered the house, everything seemed so much more strange to her than it had outside--so odd, so out of keeping, so out of place. "Why do you come home? What do you want here?" There seemed to be a strange questioning in every sound; when the dog barked, when the stairs creaked, when the cows lowed in the stable--they all seemed to be questioning her: "Who's that coming home? Who's that?" And when at length she found herself in her room, she sat down quietly and stared at the light. Suddenly she got up, seized the lamp, held it up to the glass, and looked at her face; she felt inclined to ask herself: "Who's that?"--"And thus," she thought, "he saw me--this is how I looked. He must have been pleased with something about you, or else why did he look at you so?" There arose in her a quiet feeling of contentment, which was heightened by the thought: "Well, for once you have been looked upon as a person; until now you have been nothing but a servant, a convenience for others. Good night, Amrei--this has been a day indeed! But even this day must come to an end at last." CHAPTER XI WHAT THE OLD SONG SAYS