Daniel went off, astonished, and Pomuchelskopp inquired, very compassionately, what had happened to vex the young Herr.
"Isn't it enough to vex one, when my blockhead of a cousin obstinately persists in his silly romance, with this old hypocrite and his daughter?"
"Oh!" said Pomuchelskopp, "and I thought that was at an end, long ago. I was told that your Herr Cousin, upon hearing the report, which is in everybody's mouth, had broken off the business suddenly, and would have nothing more to do with them."
"What report?" asked Axel.
"Why about your inspector and the day-laborer, Regel was his name, and the two thousand thalers."
"Tell me, what do the people say?"
"Now, you know already. I thought you had given the old man notice because of it."
"I know nothing of it, tell me!"
"Why it is universally known. People say, Habermann and the day-laborer made a compromise; the inspector let the fellow get off, and had half, or more, of the stolen money, and he gave him a recommendation, upon which he got taken on as a sailor, in Wisman."
Axel ran about the room. "It is not possible! I cannot have been so shamefully betrayed!"