me, good, and I felt better and
better. We chopped off the branches and did three times as much as we
generally do in the same time, and so, little by little, all the
foolish notions and giddiness left my head. Now I'm here again and
happy, and I'm with you, Walpurga, my old sweetheart. I've been a
woodcutter again, in downright earnest, and now I'm to become a
farmer--that is, if all goes right."

And it all came to pass.

The mother had a wonderful way of disappearing when she knew that
Hansei and Walpurga had anything to settle between themselves. One
could almost have fancied that the cottage was provided with secret
doors and subterranean passages, so suddenly would she vanish. She
would reappear just as suddenly, and no one would know where she had
been or how she had returned.

According to her wont, she had disappeared. Walpurga and Hansei
searched through the house for her, but found her nowhere. When they
returned to the room, she was there.

"Mother, we've good news for you," said Walpurga.

"I see what's best of all, already," she replied, "and that is that your
hearts are truly united. I don't care to know any more."

"No, mother, you must know this. Did you ever imagine that you might be
mistress of the freehold at which you once were a servant?"

"No, never."

"But now it is so."

Walpurga and Hansei, relieving each other by turns, told her that they
had enough money to pay the cash down for the farm, and that the
purchase was as good as concluded, because Hansei had obtained the
refusal of it for eight days.

Mother Beate could not utter a word in reply. She folded her hands, and
her features assumed an expression of sadness.

"Mother, aren't you pleased at it?" asked Walpurga.

"Not pleased? You'll soon see. But I'm old, my child, and can't jump
about, the way you do. Look at the mountains over there. As long as
they've been standing there, no one has ever felt happier than I do.
I don't know what the Lord means by giving me so much happiness on
earth. He knows what He is doing and I accept it calmly and patiently.
When you came home to us again, I thought my cup of happiness was full,
but now I see there's more coming. Well, let what will come, I'm going
home again."

The mother was obliged to stop, but Hansei said:

"Yes, mother; you shall see something that you've never seen before in
all your life." He went into the room, returned with the sack of gold,
and opened it.

"Just lo