ows were
lying in the straw.

There was a hiding-place in the darkest corner of the stables, which he
remembered from his boyhood, and where he had hidden many a pilfered
apple and pear, and his first cigar, from his father's keen eyes.

Look, the loose brick was still in the corner. If you took it out, you
would find a hole three times as big as was necessary for hiding the
little box containing the powders.

[Pg 252]

There, now put the stone into its place again. Nobody would guess what
was lying behind it. Now the spiders could again weave a close web in
front of it like a veil, and nobody would spoil it for them. H'm, that
was very well done, said Mr. Tiralla to himself, with a satisfied
growl. Let Sophia look and look until she was blind, she would never
find them--ha, ha!

He laughed hoarsely to himself. Then he looked around in the dim
stables, in which the lantern only cast a feeble light, and shuddered.
If she were to find them after all? He uttered a deep groan and pressed
his hands to his head. Oh, how awful it was that this terror never left
him in peace. "Ha!" He gave a hoarse cry and shrank back. Was not
something rustling? He trembled, he would have sunk on the ground with
fright if a strong hand had not seized him by the arm and held him on
his feet.

It was Marianna, who had come with her milk pails. She was very
frightened herself--what did Pan Tiralla want there, what was he
looking for? He was not like the young master, who often used to waylay
her at milking time. Poor master! and how ill he looked, it was enough
to make your hair stand on end. She felt very sorry for the old
gentleman. Were they not all making fun of him? And he had always been
so good to her.

So she gave him a cheery smile and clapped him on the back. "You must
not fret, Panje. Don't fret because your wife is good friends with
Becker." She cast a covert glance at him as she said it, for she was
curious to know what kind of a face he would make.

But he did not make a face at all; he only growled, "What's that to
me?" Then he pressed his hands to his head again, and rocked to and fro
like a bear, and uttered deep sighs.

[Pg 253]

The maid felt really terrified. Why did the master give such awful,
heartbroken sighs?

But Mr. Tiralla would not answer her; no, he would not tell. Who knows
what more his wife might do to him if she heard it? He put his finger
to his lips, while his eyes roved about in all directions,