in the large ditch,’ I said.  ’Did you see young Mr. von Rambow?’ he asked.  ‘He’s sitting in the next ditch close behind Fred,’ I replied.  ‘What are they doing?’ he asked.  ‘Playing,’ I said.  ’You don’t give me much comfort,’ he said, ’playing, when there’s so much to be done!’ ‘Yes, Charles,’ I said, ‘and I played with them.’  ’What were you playing at?’ he asked.  ’We had a game at ‘I spy,’ Charles.  You must understand that your gray-hound was peeping over the edge of the ditch toward Guerlitz, and your young nobleman was watching the gray-hound, so I hid myself in the marl-pit, and watched them both.  Whenever one of them turned the others ducked, so there we sat peeping and ducking till at last I found it a very tiresome amusement, and, leaving my hiding-place, went to join Mr. von Rambow.’  ‘Good-day,’ I said.  ‘Good-day,’ he replied.  ‘Pardon me,’ I said, ’but which of your farming-operations is it that is occupying your attention just now?’ ‘I,’ he stammered, ‘w—­wanted to see how the peas were getting on!’ ‘H’m!’ I said.  ‘Ah!’ I said.  ‘I understand.’  Then I bade him ‘good-by,’ and went to have a look at the gray-hound.  Don’t be angry, Mrs. Behrens, but that’s what I always call your nephew.”  “Not at all, not at all!” cried the little lady, though her own name for him was different.  Then Braesig continued:  “‘Good-day,’ I said, ’may I ask what you are doing here?’ ‘Oh, nothing in particular,’ he said, looking rather foolish, ‘I’m only looking at the peas.’  ‘Now, Charles,’ I said, ’if you can get the peas staked by setting those two lads to look at them, why all that I can say is that you’re a deuced lucky fellow.’  ‘The devil take it!’ he said, ’they’re both up to some folly.  Mr. von Rambow is quite changed this summer, he isn’t like the same person.  He goes about in a dream, forgets all that I tell him, and so I can’t rely on him as I used to do.  And as for that other stupid dolt, he’s worse than ever.’  Now, Mrs. Behrens, pray don’t be angry with Hawermann for calling your nephew a ‘stupid dolt.’” “Certainly not,” replied Mrs. Behrens, “for that’s just what he is.”  “Well, you see that all happened a week ago, but this morning I went out early with my fishing-rod to try whether I couldn’t catch a few trout, when just as I was coming in this direction I caught sight of your nephew, the gray-hound.  He slipped cautiously into the garden, and after remaining there for a few minutes, came out again.  Meanwhile I perceived that the young nobleman was watching him from amongst the thorn-bushes by the side of the ditch; but what was my astonishment when I saw that my good old friend Charles Hawermann was following them on the hill-side.  I brought up the rear, and so we all went on in single file quite round the village, and I couldn’t help laughing when I thought that each of us only knew of the presence of the game he was stalking, and was totally unaware that he himself was being stalked in his turn.  We’re all to be at it again tomorrow I believe, for Hawermann,