She threw her arms around her son and they embraced more warmly than they had ever done in their lives before.
A quarter of an hour later, the head forester, coming in hastily to see the old doctor, found the three in earnest conversation. He gave Regine a look, to which she responded by saying:
"Well, Moritz, am I still the personification of obstinacy and unreasonableness?" and she held out her hand to her brother-in-law. But he did not take it. Her second refusal but the week before was still fresh in his mind, and he turned to the others now, saying:
"So you're to be married at once, I hear? I met Dr. Volkmar and he told me all about it, so I came over to offer our services to the bride, but as Willibald's mother is here, there's little for me to do."
"Ah, your services will be heartily welcome, uncle," said Willibald cordially.
"Well, well, I won't be sorry to see my nephew married," said the head forester, kindly. "You've become a very romantic young man of late. Toni's caught the fever, too, and nothing would do but that Walldorf and she should be married at once; but I put my foot down on that. I said the circumstances were quite different, and that I had no intention of being left all alone like a cat."
He gave another grim look at Regine, but she went up to him and answered him cordially:
"Come now, Moritz, don't growl; let us be happy and without strife for once. You see I did say yes, to my boy at least, when I found his heart was set on Marietta."
The head forester looked at her gravely for a moment, then he seized her hand and pressed it warmly, as he said:
"Yes, I see, Regine, and perhaps you'll repent ere long of your no in another matter, and give a yes instead."