th other thoughts. She rested her oars and
exclaimed:

"The little house over there is our home, and there's our child. I
don't know how it is--" She could not express her feelings, but it
seemed as if she must fly away and hover over the sea and the
mountains, with all that belonged to her. She gazed earnestly at
Hansei, until he at last said:

"Of course it's our little house; and our cows, and our tables, and our
chairs, and our beds, are all there. Walpurga, you've become a foolish
thing; everything seems strange to you."

"You're right, Hansei. Only have patience with me. I'm just coming home
to it all again."

She had, at first, almost felt mortified at Hansei's words. He had
taken her expressions so literally, and had not appreciated her
high-strung feelings. But she quickly regained her self-control, and
realized how changed she had become, and that all this was out of place
here.

They returned home, and slipped into the house through the back door.
They found everything quiet and in good order. They did not care for
the people outside, or for their merry-making. They were enough to each
other.

CHAPTER VI.

Were these the same villagers who had talked so scandalously of
Walpurga when, at Christmas time, the new clothes had come for Hansei
and the mother? Had they suddenly become kind and loving?

It seemed, at first, as if they had really raised themselves to the
noblest height, that of pure sympathy.

But now-- If there had been a weathercock to mark the feelings of men,
it would have turned quite suddenly.

It all came about quite naturally.

There were few amusements still left to the villagers. The church and
state authorities had ruled with a severe hand. It was, therefore, no
trifle that the members of the provincial court would permit music in
midsummer, in honor of the prince's nurse, for the sanction of the
authorities was required, even for music.

All were delighted except, of course, Grubersepp, who made a wry face
at their noisy doings, and, after he had taken his comfortable
afternoon nap, went out to his fields. Such a noise and fuss about
nothing at all, would do very well for the little farmers, the
woodcutters, the boatmen and the fishermen; but it should not interest
a rich, sober-minded farmer.

But when they found that Walpurga and Hansei had gone away, and that
the cream of the joke was thus spoiled; when even the country justice
sa