Soon after, they reached the turf-hut, and there they separated.  Veronica was not far off; and as she came up Blasi joined her, and they walked quickly along over the crisp, frozen ground.  She was more silent than usual, and seemed sunk in thought.  In the middle of the wood she stopped suddenly and said,

“Blasi will you do me a great favor?”

“I will do anything in the world for you, Veronica,” was the prompt reply, “I will jump into the big pond over there, and never come out again, if you want me to.”

“You couldn’t get in now; it is frozen hard,” said the girl, laughing.  “I don’t want you to do that, but something very different.  Do you think you could find out what Jost knows about Dietrich?  Perhaps he has told Jost where he is, and where a letter would reach him.”

“Yes, but look here, Veronica, are you still thinking about him, all this time?” asked poor Blasi, quite taken aback.

“We will not talk about that,” she answered curtly.  “To tell the truth, I am very anxious about our mother.  She has been very far from well lately, and she says every now and then, ‘If I could only see him once more!’ as if she felt that she was not going to live much longer.  Oh, help me get word to Dietrich if you can, Blasi! do help me!” Veronica’s eyes were full of tears, as she raised them beseechingly to Blasi’s face.  He was much touched at the sight of her tears; but then a great fear arose in his mind, for he thought, “She is beginning to soften, and it will all turn out just as Jost said.”  And he determined to prevent it at any cost.

“Don’t lose your courage, and I’ll try my best!  I’ll see what I can do!” he said in a very decided tone, and with a most courageous air.

“You are my only friend now,” said Veronica; and the words spurred Blasi on to immediate action.  He left her in the doorway, and hastened away.  He would find out all that Jost could or would tell about Dietrich.  He ran across to the Rehbock, where he found Jost sitting with his glass.  For if Jost, as he complained, had to sit and work all the morning, while others did as they pleased, yet he made enough money by his work to allow him to spend all his afternoons at the Rehbock, and remain, drinking one glass after another, all through the evening, and late into the night.

Blasi seated himself by his side, and opened his case very skilfully.  He wanted to know about their old friend; where he was now, and whether there was any chance of getting a line sent to him.  He did not mind paying for a drink to-night, he said, if Jost would tell him exactly what he knew about Dietrich; they ought to hang together, they three, who had known each other ever since they were children.  While Blasi was discoursing in this clever manner, Jost looked squintingly at him, and when he stopped, he answered scoffingly,