"
"She rode part of the way with our John," the Farmer interposed. "He'll
be here directly."
The mother gave a start. She had an inkling of something to come, and
reminded her husband that, when John went away, she had thought of the
Josenhans children.
"And I have a remembrance from both of you," said Amrei, and she brought
out the necklace and the piece of money wrapped in paper. "You gave me
that the last time you were in our village."
"See there--you lied to me, you told me that you had lost it," cried the
Farmer to his wife, reproachfully.
"And here," continued Amrei, holding out to him the groschen in its
paper cover; "here's the piece of money you gave me when I was keeping
geese on the Holderwasen, and gave you a drink from my jug."
"Yes, yes, that's all right! But what does it all mean? What you've had
given you, you may keep," said the Farmer.
Amrei stood up and said:
"I have one thing to ask you. Let me speak quite freely for a few
minutes, may I?"
"Yes, why not?"
"Look--your John wanted to take me with him and bring me here as a maid.
At any other time I would have been glad to serve in your house, indeed,
rather than anywhere else. But now it would have been dishonest; and to
people to whom I want to be honest all my life long, I won't come for
the first time with a lie in my mouth. Now everything must be as open as
the day.
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