"Yes, my sweet child," he answered,
stroking her smooth hair and soft cheeks; then taking her chin in his
hand, he raised her face toward him, and looking into her blue eyes,
went on: "If I could only be certain that you'd consent to be my little
wife as soon as I'd a home to offer you, it would make everything easy
to me, and I should be sure of learning to be a good farmer. Will you,
Mina, will you?" Mina began to cry softly, and Rudolph kissed away the
tears as they rolled down her cheeks, and then she laid her little
round-head on his shoulder. Rudolph gave her time to recover her
composure, and after a few minutes she told him in a low whisper that
she would do as he asked, so he kissed her again and again. Braesig
seeing this exclaimed half aloud: "The devil take him! Stop that!"
Rudolph found time to tell her in the midst of his kissing that he
intended to speak to his father that afternoon, and said amongst other
things that it was a pity Braesig was not there, as he was sure he would
have helped him to make his explanation to his father, who, he knew,
thought a great deal of Braesig's advice. "The young rascal to catch my
fish!" muttered Braesig. Then Mina said: "Braesig was here this morning
and dined with us. I daresay he is enjoying an after-dinner sleep now."
"Just listen to little round-head," said Braesig to himself. "An
after-dinner sleep indeed! But everything is settled now, and I needn't
cramp my bones up here any longer.
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