n hear that in your voice. And
Uli, if you're not a stupid, you'll put your arms around her this
minute; she won't shove you out into the room now, trust me."

But her aunt was mistaken. Once more the girl summoned all her strength,
and whirled about so sharply that she almost shook off Uli again. But
her strength did not hold out. She fell on Uli's breast and broke out in
loud, almost convulsive weeping. The two others almost became
frightened, as her sobbing seemed to have no end; they did not
understand what was the matter. Uli comforted her as well as he could,
and begged her not to go on so: if she'd rather not have him, he could
go away, he wouldn't torment her. Her aunt was vexed at first and told
her she was silly; that in her day girls hadn't put a hound to shame
with their howling when they found a sweetheart. But then she became
alarmed and said she wouldn't force the girl; if she was unwilling to
have Uli she could do what she liked for all of her. Only for goodness
sake she shouldn't go on so; the innkeepers might wonder what was
happening.

Finally Freneli recovered enough to tell them just to leave her in
peace; that she would try to compose herself. She had been a poor orphan
all her life, and an outcast from childhood. No father had ever taken
her on his lap, no mother ever kissed her; never had she had a breast to
lay her head on. She had often thought it wouldn't be hard even to die,
if only she could sit on somebody's lap and clasp somebody around the
neck; but during all her childhood nobody had loved her, and she had had
no home. She couldn't say how often she had wept alone. Her longing had
always and always been to have somebody that she could love with all her
heart and all her soul; to find somebody on whose breast she could hide
her head at all times. She had never found a chum to satisfy her
longing. And so when folks talked to her about marrying, she had thought
she never would unless she could believe from the bottom of her heart
that she had found the breast on which to lay her head in joy and
sorrow, and which would be true to her in life and death. But she had
found none that she could have such faith in. She loved Uli, had loved
him long, more than she could say; but this faith in him she hadn't yet
been able to have. And if she was deceived this time, if Uli's love and
loyalty weren't true and genuine, then her last hope would be gone, then
she'd never find the breast she sought, and