The poor woman, who looked even paler and more worn in her present condition than in the autumn, sighed deeply. Elsa tried to comfort her with words of sympathy. "It would be easy for a man like Herr Pölitz to find something else, and if capital was wanting to rent a new, and perhaps larger and better farm, some means would be devised for that also. The great thing was, not to lose courage herself. She must think only of her husband, who took life hardly enough as it was, and whose strength would be paralysed if she lost heart. She must think of the child that remained to her, and of the other that was coming, and everything would come right."
The woman smiled through her tears.
"Ah!" she said, "what a comfort it is to hear such words from kind people! It does not last long, but for the moment one feels lighter; and that is a great deal when one's heart is so heavy. That is what I always say to the Captain. He is just like you."
A thrill of joy passed through Elsa. Reinhold had been here! He had also sought the place to which her thoughts had so often returned.
"He has often been here already," said Frau Pölitz; "only the day before yesterday he came on foot; but generally he goes in his boat to Ahlbeck."
"How far is it to Wissow?" asked Elsa.
"About four or five miles if you go right over Wissow Head; three miles to the Head, and half as much down to Wissow. You can see it there from the top. It is very fine up there on a summer's day. We used to go there very often formerly, but we never go now."
The pale girl here came in, took a key from a shelf near the door, and went out again immediately.
"Your sister-in-law is here to nurse you?" said Elsa. "The poor girl seems rather to need nursing herself."
"Yes, God knows?" said Frau Pölitz. She pulled at her apron with an embarrassed look and drew nearer to Elsa on the little sofa, and went on in a low voice, "I ought not to talk about it, but you are so kind and good, and it lies so terribly heavy on my mind. If you would----"