“No harm intended,” said Johannes; “but to do a thing properly one has to mention everything.  I should be awfully glad of it, for your sake and for Uli’s and for my own too; for I set some store by Uli.  It’s true that he’s almost as dear to me as my own child, and I won’t be stingy if I can do anything for him.  He told me about Elsie, too, and I tried to talk him out of it.  He didn’t like it at the time, as I could well see.  I wonder whether he’ll say anything about it to me now.  Shall I talk to him about this affair, and try to sound him and see what he thinks, or shall I talk right out bluntly, or do you want to talk with Joggeli first?”

“I’d rather be clear about Uli and Freneli, and that’s why I came with ’em,” said she.  “If I talk to Joggeli about it and then find out later that they’re not willing, I’ll never hear the last of it and how silly and stupid I was; you know he’s so queer and never gives up a grudge; and still he’s not the worst either.  If you’re willing, cousin, then sound Uli and see what he says, drag the secret out of him; I’d like it very much if I knew where he stands.  It seems to me I’d be in heaven if the business was all fixed up.  Don’t you like the girl too?” asked his cousin.  And Johannes and his wife praised her highly, saying how pretty and attractive she was, and the former promised to help as much as he could.

That evening it was not convenient; there was no opportunity to be alone with Uli.  But the next morning, as soon as they had breakfasted, Johannes asked Uli if he would go out to the pasture with him; he would like to show him what he had sowed and ask him about this and that.  Uli’s mistress admonished them not to stay too long, for they wanted to set out in good season so as not to get home too late.  While Johannes’s wife was urging her to stay over another night the men strolled away.

It was another beautiful day.  One steeple after another proclaimed that it was the Lord’s day, that hearts should open to the Lord and keep Sabbath with Him, to receive His peace and feel His love.  The two wanderers felt the solemnity of it; over many a field they walked with little speech.  Then they came to the edge of the woods, whence they could see the valley floating in the wonderful autumn haze and hear the peal of the bells from many steeples, calling the people together to take into their open hearts the seed that bears sixty and a hundredfold on good soil.  Silently they sat down there and drew in through the wide-open gates of their eyes and ears the glorious sermon of the Lord, which can be heard without words every day in all countries; and in deep reverence they heard the tones reecho in the sanctuary of their souls.

At last Johannes asked, “You’re not going to stay on Slough Farm?”

“No,” said Uli.  “Not that I’m angry with them about Elsie.  I’m glad it turned out so.  Now it’s over I can see that I shouldn’t have had a happy hour with her, and that with such an ugly, lazy hussy no amount of money would make a man happy.  I can’t understand what I was thinking of.  But I don’t want to stay.  The son-in-law is always there, wants to start running things, and swindles the mistress wherever he can, so that I can’t bear to see it; and I won’t take orders from him.”