The mother sat silent for a time, but after awhile she said: "You've referred him to Crappy Zachy. It was at Crappy Zachy's that Josenhans's boy was boarded out." Thus her pronouncing the name aloud showed that her former remembrances were dawning upon her; and now she became conscious what those remembrances were. And her mind often reverted to them during the events that were soon to occur, and which we are about to relate. "I don't know what you're talking about," said the farmer. "What's the child to you? Why don't you say that I did the thing wisely?" "Yes, yes, it was wisely done," the wife acquiesced. But the tardy praise did not satisfy the old man, and he went out grumbling. A certain apprehension that things might go wrong with his boy after all, and that perhaps he had been in too great a hurry, made the farmer gruff, for the present, toward everybody about him. CHAPTER XIV THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE On the evening of the same day that John had ridden away from Zumarshofen, Crappy Zachy came to Farmer Rodel's house and sat with the proprietor in the back room for a long time, reading a letter to him in a low voice. "You must give me a hundred crowns if I put this business through, and I want that down in writing," said Crappy Zachy. "I should think that fifty would be enough, and even that is a pretty bit of money." "No, not a red farthing less than a round hundred, and in saying that I am making you a present of a hundred. But I am willing to do that much for you and your sister--in fact, I am always glad to do a kindness to a fellow-townsman. Why, in Endringen or in Siebenhofen they would gladly give me double the money. Your Rose is a very respectable girl--nobody can deny that--but she's nothing extraordinary, and one might ask, what's the price of a dozen such?" "Be quiet! I won't have that!" "Yes, yes, I'll be quiet, and not disturb you while you're writing. Now, write at once." Farmer Rodel was obliged to do as Crappy Zachy wished, and when he had done writing, he said: "What do you think? Shall I tell Rose about it?" "Certainly, you must do so. But don't let her show that she knows about it, nor tell any one in the place; it won't bear being talked about. All people have their enemies, you and your sister like the rest, you may believe me. Tell Rose to wear her everyday clothes and milk the cows when he comes. I shall have him come to your house alone. You read what Farmer Landfried writes; the boy has a will of his own, and would run away directly, if he suspected that there was anything being prepared for him. And you must send this very evening to Lauterbach and have your brother-in-law's white horse brought over here; then I'll get somebody to send the suitor over to you in quest of the horse. Don't let him notice that you know anything about it either."