She dressed herself in a hurry, hunted for him, and went all over the house calling for him; but he was not there. She hurried over to Grubersepp's, but they had seen nothing of him. She returned home, but Hansei had not yet arrived.
What could it be? If Hansei had done some harm to himself--If having so much money had turned his head--Oh, that terrible money! It had been lying in the earth, and there was now nothing wrong about it, for what has once been in the ground is purified.
She went out to the lake. It was still storming; its waves were high, and the sky was covered with dark gray clouds.
Maybe Hansei's destroyed himself--maybe he's floating in there.
She stood by the water's edge and cried "Hansei" with all her might.
There was no answer. She returned to the house, and, as coherently as she could, told her mother of her grief. Her mother consoled her.
"Do be quiet. Hansei took his axe with him--the one that always hangs up there. I suppose he had something to do in the forest. He never shirks work. When he comes home don't tell him how foolish you've been. The palace still clings to you. You worry too much about everything. Take my word for it, the world's quiet and peaceful enough as long as we're quiet and orderly. Hush! I hear him coming. He's whistling."
Hansei approached whistling, and bearing his axe on his shoulder.
Walpurga could not go forward to meet him. She felt so weak in her limbs that she was obliged to sit down.
"Good-morning, Mistress Freeholder!" cried Hansei from afar. "Good-morning, Freeholder!" replied Walpurga. "Where have you been?"