"Go now, Trude, and learn if he has returned; upon him depends my happiness, and life even--he is my last hope!""I am going, but first I would get the wages of my sin, and play the hypocrite, and tell a few untruths; then I will go to Moritz's lodgings, and the baker also. Do not despair; I have a joyful presentiment that God will have pity upon us and send us aid." Trude kissed and embraced her child, and scarcely waited an hour, when she was demanded in the parlor to receive her money.
Herr Ebenstreit was heartily delighted with her zealous impatience, and handed her ten rolls of gold, reminding her of the conditions.
"I have already consoled her a little, and she begins to change. Ihope every thing will turn for good. Just leave her alone with me.""But first, I must go and see my aged brother, who will take care of my money," replied Trude. "He is a safe man and will not spend it.""Trude," cried the general, "what an old fool! to seek at distance what is so near you. I will take your money, and give you interest.
Do you hear? I will take care of it!"
"Thank you, general, I'd rather give it to my brother, on account of the relationship." She slipped out of the room, hid the money in her bed, and hurriedly left the house.
Scarcely an hour passed ere Trude returned as fleetly as she went.
She cast only a look into the kitchen, and hastened up to Marie's room. Her success was evident in her happy, smiling face, and coming home she had repeated to herself, "How happy Marie will be!" almost the entire way.
She had but closed the door, when the mean little Leberecht glided from behind the chimney, and crept to listen at the door.
Within was a lively conversation, and twice a shout of joy was heard and Marie, exultant, cried, "Oh, Trude! dear Trude! all goes well, Ifear nothing now. God has sent me the savior which I implored!"Leberecht stood, bent over, applying his ear to the keyhole, listening to every word.
Oh, Trude! if you could only have seen the traitor, glued to the door, with open eyes and mouth! Could you have seen the eavesdropper rubbing his hands together, grinning, and listening in breathless suspense!
Why cannot you surprise him, Trude, and fulfil your threat to deluge him and chase him away from your child's door? They forgot the necessity of prudence, and the possibility of being overheard. At last it occurred to the old servant, and she tore open the door, but no one was there--it was deserted and still.
"God be thanked, no one has listened," whispered Trude. "I will go down and tell them that I hope, if we can stay alone all day, you will be calmer and more reasonable.""Do it, Trude; I do not dare to see any one for fear my face will betray me, and my mother has very sharp eyes. Return soon."She opened the door, and saw not the eavesdropper and spy, who had but just time to conceal himself, and stand maliciously grinning at the retreating figure of the faithful servant.
He slipped lightly from his hiding-place down to his sleeping-room, in a niche under the stairs. For a long time he reflected, upon his bedside--his watery blue eyes staring at nothing. "This must be well considered," he mumbled. "There is, at last, a capital to be won.
Which shall I do first, to grasp a good deal? Shall I wait, or go at once to Herr Ebenstreit? Very naturally they would both deny it, and say that I had made up the whole story to gain money. I had better let the affair go on: they can take a short drive, and when they are about an hour absent, I will sell my secret at a higher price. Now Iwill pretend to be quite harmless, and after supper let the bomb burst!"