"Dellwig. I know him from the days before I married."
"I don't know him very well yet," said Anna, "but he seems to be very—very polite."
Trudi laughed again, and cracked her whip.
"My uncle had great faith in him," said Anna, slightly aggrieved by the laugh.
"Your uncle was one of the best farmers in Germany, I have always heard. He was so experienced, and so clever, that he could have led a hundred Dellwigs round by the nose. Dellwig was naturally quite small, as we say, in the presence of your uncle. He knew very well it would be useless to be anything but immaculate under such a master. Perhaps your uncle thought he would go on being immaculate from sheer habit, with nobody to look after him."
"I suppose he did," said Anna doubtfully. "He told me to keep him. It's quite certain that I can't look after him."
They passed Axel Lohm, also riding. He was on Trudi's side of the road. He looked pleased when he saw Anna with his sister. Trudi whipped up the cobs, regardless of his feelings, and tore past him, scattering the sand right and left. When she was abreast of him, she winked her eye at him with perfect solemnity.
Axel looked stony.