A tall, broad-shouldered man came out from a barn-door, followed by a little dog, who flew at the stranger, barking loudly. The man called the animal back. At the first sound of his voice, Elsa, to whom the whole scene had appeared wonderfully familiar, as if she must have seen it before, recognised the honest farmer who had so kindly sheltered her last autumn.
"Herr Pölitz!" she said, holding out her hand. "You have forgotten me."
A look of joy came over the sunburnt face. "Come, this is good of you to pay us a visit!"
"You knew, then, that I was in Warnow?"
The farmer smiled in his melancholy way.
"How should the like of us not know such a thing? But that you should have remembered us! My wife will be so pleased."
He went towards the house. Elsa was very sorry to spoil the pleasure of these worthy people, but she could not permit herself even so trifling an untruth. The farmer's face clouded, as she explained, with some embarrassment, that during the week she had been at Warnow she had never been beyond the garden, and had not now intended any visit; in fact, that she had not known that these buildings, which she had often enough seen from her window across the fields, were Herr Pölitz's farm. "But," she added, "I should have come had I known, or as soon as I discovered it. For that I give you my word."
"We could not have expected it," answered the farmer; "but since you say so, I believe you. But will you not come in!" he added hesitatingly.
"Yes, for a minute, to speak to your wife and to see the children."
"The children!"