One ought to drive around the country from time to time; then one could not merely gratify his curiosity, but learn a lot too.  Folks didn’t do things everywhere alike, and in some places they did better than in others, and so one could always pick and choose the best.  They had not driven much more than, two hours when she began to suggest that they must give Blackie something to eat.  He was not used to running so long, and they must bring him home in good condition.  “You stop at the next public-house,” she said in response to Uli’s objections, “and see if he won’t eat a measure of oats.  I’d just as soon have something myself; I’m actually beginning to be cold.”

Arrived there, she said to Uli, “When the horse has his oats, come in.”  In the doorway she again turned around and cried, “Do you hear?  Come in then.”  After the hostess having wiped off the benches in the tavern with her apron, had asked, “What can I bring you?” and a good bottle and some tea had been ordered, the women sat down, looked around the room, made their comments in a low voice, and wondered that it was no later by this clock.  But Uli had probably driven fast; one could see that he had been in a hurry to get there.  When finally the order was brought with the excuse that it had taken a long time because the water had not been hot and the wood had refused to burn, the mother told Freneli to call Uli; she didn’t see why he didn’t come; she had told him twice.  When he had come and had drunk their health sufficiently, the hostess tried to begin a conversation, saying that another wedding party had stopped in there today.  The mother laughed out heartily, and Uli was amused too; but Freneli grew red and angry and remarked that not all the parties on the road today were wedding parties; that other folks, she supposed, had the right to go driving on Saturday, too; the road wasn’t reserved for wedding parties.—­She shouldn’t get so angry, said the hostess; she didn’t know her, but it seemed to her that the young folks were just right for each other; she hadn’t seen such a handsome couple for a long time.  The mother appeased the hostess, saying that she needn’t excuse herself so much; they had had a great laugh about it at home, and had thought that’s the way it would be, and then too the girl had got so angry.

“It’s not nice of you, auntie, to help torment me,” said Freneli; “if I had known this I shouldn’t have come along.”

“Why, nobody’s tormenting you,” said her aunt laughing.  “Don’t be so silly; many a girl would be tickled to be taken for a bride.”

“That doesn’t tickle me,” said Freneli, “and if I’m not let alone, I’ll go home this minute.”

“Why, you can’t tie up people’s mouths, and you ought to be glad that they haven’t anything worse to say about you,” answered her aunt.

“It’s bad enough, if folks marry me off to a man that I don’t want and that doesn’t want me.”