Scarcely had she spoken the words, when the shoes, as if they were running after their owner, came flying out of the window and down into the street. "Run to the devil in them!" cried a voice from the garret window. The voice sounded masculine, and yet it belonged to Rose. Barefoot collected the shoes and took them to the tavern with John, who carried the sack on his back. The moon was shining brightly, and the whole village was already asleep. Barefoot would not stay at the tavern. "Then I should like to go home this very night," said John. "Before I do anything else," replied Barefoot, "I must go to Black Marianne. She has filled a mother's place for me, and I have not seen her today, and have not been able to do anything for her. And besides that, she's ill. Alas! It is too bad that I shall have to leave her; but what am I to do? Come, go with me to her." They went together to the house. When Barefoot opened the inside door a moonbeam fell upon the angel on the stove, just as a sunbeam had fallen on that day of long ago. And it seemed to smile and dance more merrily. Barefoot cried with a loud voice: "Marianne! Marianne! Wake up, Marianne! Happiness and blessing are here! Wake up!" The old woman sat up in bed; the moonlight fell upon her face and neck. She opened her eyes wide and said: "What is it? What is it? Who calls?" "Rejoice! Here I bring you my John!" "My John!" screamed the old woman, "Good God, my John! How long--how long--I have thee--I have thee! Oh God, I thank thee a thousand and a thousand times! Oh, my child, my boy! I see thee with a thousand eyes, and a thousandfold--No, there--there--thy hand! Come here--there--there in the chest is thy dowry! Take the cloth! My son! my boy! Yes, yes, she is thine! John, my son, my son! my--" The old woman laughed convulsively, and fell back in her bed. Amrei and John had knelt down beside her, and when they stood up and bent over her, she had ceased to breathe. "Oh, heavens! She is dead! Joy killed her!" exclaimed Barefoot. "She took you for her son. She died happy. Oh, why is it thus in the world, why is it thus?" She sank down by the bed again, and sobbed bitterly. At last John raised her up, and Barefoot closed the dead woman's eyes. For a long time they stood together beside the bed; then Barefoot said: "Come, I will wake up people who will watch by her body. God has been very gracious; she would have no one to care for her when I was gone. And God has given her the greatest joy in the last moment of her life. How long, oh, how long, she waited for that joy!" "Yes, but you cannot stay here now," said John. "You must go with me this very night."