"Jochen?" asked Bräsig, with much emphasis.
"Yes," said Frau Nüssler, "but it is all over now. Look!"
And Bräsig, looking, saw Bauschan stand up, and whisk his rough tail across Jochen's face, a couple of times, and Jochen raised himself up, and asked, quite distinctly, "Mother, what o'clock is it?" Then he recollected himself, and perceiving Bräsig, said, "Bräsig, that is a clever fellow, that Herr von Rambow, he has been making a speech again."
Rudolph came in then, and candles were brought, and Bräsig made a frightful grimace, across the table, at Rudolph; but it was not meant badly, it was merely confidential, and signified, "Keep perfectly quiet, rely wholly upon me, your business is going on well."
The evening passed slowly, for each had his own thoughts, and when it was bedtime Bräsig was the only one who soon fell asleep; Rudolph was thinking of Mining and the wedding, Frau Nüssler of the dreadful times of idleness which awaited her, and Jochen of the geese, and Herr von Rambow's speech. This last thought kept him waking all night, and when Frau Nüssler, towards morning, turned over on the other side, for a little nap, she saw Jochen fully dressed, going out of the door, with Bauschan at his heels. That this meant something, she was sure, but what, no mortal could tell.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Young Jochen went with Young Bauschan up and down the yard, and stopped frequently to rub his head, as if there were something he did not rightly understand. Bauschan also stood still, looked at Jochen, wagged his tail rather doubtfully, and sank back into his own gloomy thoughts about the co-regency. Rudolph came out.
"God bless you, father, are you up already?"
"Yes, Rudolph, it is because of the old geese,"--he had something more to say, but was not quite ready with it, and Rudolph said:
"Well, father, never mind the old story; but I am glad you are up so early this morning, you can tell the bailiff what the people are to do; I did not go over to the Pumpelhagen boundary yesterday, I will run over, and see how they are getting on with the ploughing. We are to do just as we did yesterday, manuring the potato-land."