"Thank God!" said Frau Nüssler, "I know my brother Karl well enough to be sure he would have nothing to do with such fool's play."
"Frau Nüssler," said Bräsig, drawing himself up before his old sweetheart, "you have spoken a very serious word, as Rector Baldrian said, lately, when we were talking about the potato-land of the day-laborers; but one must look well to his words, in these days,--they have already turned Kurz out,--and I am really a member of the Reformverein at Rahnstadt, and have no pleasure in 'fool's play.'"
"Well, I believe you will turn me out of my own kitchen yet!" said Frau Nüssler, putting her hands on her sides.
"Did I say that?" asked Bräsig. "They have turned out Ludwig Philippe, they have turned out the Bavarian Ludwig, they have turned out Ludwig Kurz; is your name Ludwig? No, I came here to look after you, and if anything breaks out here, then I will come with the Reformverein, and with the Burgher-guard,--we have all got pikes, and some of us flint-locks,--and we will protect you."
"Do you think I will have people coming into my house, with pikes and muskets?" cried Frau Nüssler. "You may tell your infamous pack, they must first provide themselves with an extra set of arms and legs, for those they have now would get broken here."
With that, she turned away, went into her buttery, and locked the door behind her. Yes, it was a sad time! even between this honest old pair, the devil had sowed his weeds, and when Bräsig had stood a little while before the buttery door, as Bauschan often did, he felt very much like Bauschan when he was turned out, and he went back to the living-room with a downcast air, and said to Jochen, "Yes, these are truly bad times! And you sit there, and never stir hand nor foot? And the rebellion has broken out in your own house!"
"Yes, Bräsig, I know," said Jochen. "That is on account of the geese; but what can I do about it? Bräsig, help yourself to a little kümmel!"--and he pointed with his foot to the lowest shelf in the cup-board,--"there is the bottle."
Bräsig approved of a little kümmel. Then he placed himself at the window, and looked out at the weather, and as the spring wind drove the April showers across the sky, and then the sun shone out again, so all sorts of dark stormy thoughts chased through his head: "How?" said he, "shall all that come to an end? She thrusts me away, when I would help her?" and then again the sun shone out, but with a brief and mocking glance, which gave no warmth, and he laughed: "Ha, ha! I wish I could see her fighting against the Rahnstadt Burgher-guard, with the tailor Wimmersdorf at the head, and the shrewd old dyer, with his 'Meins wegens;' how they would scatter!"
Rudolph passed through the yard, and seeing Bräsig at the window, came in, as he wished to speak to him.
"Good day. Uncle Bräsig!"