"Have you written nothing else about her?"
"I only wrote that the sheet of paper belonged to her, and that she was a precious pearl of the human race."
"So she is," interposed the Frau Pastorin.
"And then I closed in a very friendly way, by inviting the young Herr to our fraternity ball."
"That was foolish," cried the Frau Pastorin, "he will notice that, he will think you have the intention to bring him and Louise together again."
"Frau Pastorin," said Bräsig, placing himself before her, "with all respect for your words, is it foolish and wicked, if one has the intention of bringing two people together again, who have been separated by the wickedness and meanness of other people? I had this intention, and therefore I wrote that letter; Habermann could not have done it; for why? He is her father, and it would not have been fitting. You could not have done it; for why? Because they have called you already, here in Rahnstadt, all sorts of scandalous names. It is nothing to me, however, if people do call me an old go-between; I don't trouble myself about it; I will fetch and carry between here and Paris, and if I am only considered in Paris to be an honest man and a faithful friend to Karl Habermann and Louise, it is nothing to me if all Rahnstadt calls me an old matchmaker."
"Yes, Frau Pastorin, yes!" cried the little assessor, falling upon the Frau Pastorin's neck, "the Herr Inspector is right. Who cares for the gossips of Rahnstadt? What matters the stupid judgment of the world, if two people can be made happy? Franz must come, and Louise must be happy," and in her delight she ran up to Bräsig, and put her arms round his neck, and kissed him, right on his mouth. "You are a dear, old Uncle Bräsig!"
And Bräsig returned the kiss, and said, "Yes, you little clavier-mamsell, you dear little lark, you! You ought to try your happiness also, in such relations. But hold! We mustn't cackle too soon, the business is not settled yet, the rascals are not yet convicted, and, if I know Karl Habermann, he must be perfectly cleared in that affair, before he will consent to such an arrangement, and therefore I have said nothing about the matter, that he and Louise might not be disturbed. And it is a great blessing that Kurz has the inflorentia, for he could never have held his tongue so long otherwise."
"Bräsig," said the Frau Pastorin, "taking it all together, I believe you have done right."
"Haven't I, Frau Pastorin? And you were only vexed, because you didn't write first. But you shall have the honor of writing to the young Herr, when it is all settled."