nger one of them.

Yes, the man was in a bad state of health, they all saw that. What had
the doctor said?

They had not had one so far, said Mrs. Tiralla, casting down her eyes.
Then she added softly, with trembling lips, that up to now she had only
prayed and prayed.

The priest nodded. But when he soon afterwards left and she accompanied
him to the front door, he took hold of her hand in the passage and
pointed out to her that it was her duty to send for a doctor. "My dear
Mrs. Tiralla," he said, "invoking divine help is certainly--h'm"--he
cleared his throat, those wide-open, staring eyes made him quite
confused--"divine help is certainly the chief thing, but human help is
not to be dispensed with. Your husband seems very ill, really
dangerously ill, why won't you have a doctor? You must absolutely send
for one."

She followed him with her eyes as he walked away and there was a
peculiar smile on her face. So--so he [Pg 276] said that? Surely he did
not believe that a doctor could change what had been decided upon in
heaven? Very well, she could, of course, send for a doctor. But the man
might prescribe whatever he liked, Mr. Tiralla would still be tottering
to his grave with every step he took.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"A strong-minded woman," remarked the visitors, as they walked home
across the fields. "Terrible," they said then, and shivered as though
they felt cold.

The wind whirled round them, and a flock of ravens, startled at their
approach, flew out of the furrows screeching and cawing just over their
heads. What a horrible noise! The men stood still involuntarily. Look,
look! they all flew back to Starydwor and settled on the roofs. Those
birds of ill omen!

Psia brew, how awful it must be there at present, to be every day with
that man. Why, he was quite idiotic. Mr. Tiralla had never been very
bright, and he had always had a hankering after drink. Well, well, your
sin is sure to find you out. Poor woman! She was the only one who
deserved to be pitied. It was really admirable how she kept up her
courage.

"H'm, it's taken a great deal out of her, nevertheless," remarked Mr.
Schmielke with a long--drawn whistle. He had suddenly grown very cool
in his feelings towards her. "Sophia Tiralla's reign is over and done
with. Did you notice the hollows in her cheeks? And then her eyes, how
sunk they were. H'm, that lanky, red-haired girl, who dared not show
hersel