friendly with the friendly lad, and at times forgot herself and would spend two or three minutes chatting and laughing with him.  When Elsie happened to see this there were terrible scenes.  First she would make the wildest accusations against Freneli, until she could talk no more and was completely out of breath; when in this state she would sometimes rush at her, and would have tried to beat her if she had had the strength.  Then she would pitch into Uli; a hundred times he would have to hear that he was a filthy fellow and only a servant; that she saw what she had to expect if she was such a fool as folks thought; but, thank heaven, there was still time enough, and she wouldn’t be such a fool as to bring her money to a man who she was afraid would waste it all on women.  Then she would begin to bawl at such false statements, and say she was going to die either by hanging or shooting herself.  Often she would become reconciled in the midst of her tears, and Uli had to promise not to run after others any more, and not to say another good word to that old Freneli, who just wanted to lead him on and astray.  Again, the quarrel would continue and Elsie would sulk.  Then Uli would think:  a girl that was so jealous, and so often told him he was a servant, and bawled and sulked so much, wouldn’t be the most agreeable kind of wife; it would be hard living with her, and it would be better if he drove the whole thing out of his mind.  But as soon as he became indifferent to her sulks, Elsie grew anxious and sought a reconciliation; then she would buy him something, or seek some other opportunity to flatter Uli, and beg him to love her, for she had no other joy in life.  And when she made him so angry he mustn’t take it ill of her; she only did it because her love was so great and she didn’t want anybody else to have him—­etc., etc.  When she once had him to herself she wouldn’t be jealous any more; but so long as she was all in the air and didn’t know where she stood, she often felt as if she’d rather die.  And she didn’t really know whether Uli loved her, either; sometimes it seemed to her that, if he loved her very much, he’d go at it quite differently, and take hold of things better; but he was just like a wooden doll and never lifted a hand.  Then when Uli would say that he didn’t know how to do any better, that he too didn’t exactly know whether Elsie really wanted him, and if she was in earnest about it she should speak with her parents, or they would go to the pastor and announce their engagement and then see what would come of it, Elsie would say that there was no hurry about it; they could get married any time; the chief thing was that he should love her, and then a year would be soon enough, or if he went at it right (that depended on him, she would see about it), six months; but with that Freneli he must have nothing more to do or she would scratch both their eyes out and the hussy would have to leave the house.