fixed him
to the spot. He was not shy as a rule; anywhere else he would have
said, "I want to go to the stables too." But he did not feel at home
here. Why did Mikolai's stepmother look at him so penetratingly? Was
she not pleased that he had come? He dared not look up, he felt her
eyes resting on him the whole time. He felt hot and cold in turns. What
black eyes the woman had. How stupid that the old man should get drunk
now. He simply longed for Mr. Tiralla; he was quite different, he had
welcomed him with such a loud laugh and given him a resounding kiss on
both cheeks, just as he had done to his son.

The man shuffled his feet restlessly. If it did not suit the woman that
he had come with Mikolai, then [Pg 188] he could pack up his belongings
and be off again, rather to-day than to-morrow. He felt uncomfortable.
If only she would talk; but she never opened her mouth except to say,
"Finish what you've got in your cup." So he finished his coffee and let
her pour out some more, and when he had finished that he let her fill
the cup again. He was trying to make up his mind to get up, make her a
bow, and go after Mikolai, whom that nice girl was showing about.

The daylight began to wane. The big, low room was only lighted by two
small windows, and in the twilight that filled the room he saw--now
that he had made up his mind to rise--that the white face opposite him
was smiling. He felt quite embarrassed; was that meant for him? Yes,
certainly, she was smiling at him in a friendly way--at least, her
mouth was smiling, but her eyes still retained their strange, fixed
look. Was the woman sad? It seemed so. True, Mr. Tiralla was no longer
a young husband, and he was not a handsome one, but had not the woman a
daughter who was so tall and so nearly grown-up that she could soon be
a grandmother?

Rosa had pleased the young man. When the girl had returned Mikolai's
kiss at the station, shyly and reservedly, but still warmly and
heartily, he had almost envied his friend. It must be nice to have a
sister like that, and--and to teach such a young girl how to kiss.
Where would the two be now? In the cowshed? Or in the enclosure, where
the mare was grazing with the foal that Rosa had spoken about? How
prettily the little one had spoken about the mare and her child; it had
sounded very sweet. Becker sighed involuntarily; oh, what a bore it was
to have to sit here in this room, whilst those two were enjoying
themselves outside.