"No time, Rolf, no time," interrupted the governess. "Go to Mr. Jul. He is in the corner over there, having his nuts cracked for him. Go to him. See you again."
Miss Hanenwinkel, who had once been in Italy, had in that country acquired the habit usual there of taking leave of people, and used it now on all occasions. If, for instance, the knife-sharpener arrived, she would say, "You here again. Better stay where you belong! See you again." With that she quickly closed the door. If the governess were sent to meet peddlers, or travelling salesmen coming to the house on business, she would say, "You know quite well we need nothing. Better not come again. See you again," and the door was quickly shut. This was Miss Hanenwinkel's peculiarity.
Jul was sitting in a corner, and in front of him, sat little Hun, busy giving his sorrowful looking nutcracker nuts to crack, which he conscientiously divided with Jul.
Rolf stepped up to the pair. "You both have time to guess. Listen!"
"'My first is just an animal forlorn.
My second that to which we should be heir,
And with my whole some lucky few are born
While others win it if they fight despair.'"
"Yes, you are right. It is courage," explained the quick older brother.
"Oh, but you guessed that quickly!" said Rolf, surprised.
"It is my turn now, Rolf. Listen, for it needs a lot of thinking. I have made it up just this minute," and Jul declaimed:
"'My first is sharp as any needle's end,
My second is the place where money grows,
My whole is used a pungent taste to lend,
And one you'd know, if only with your nose.'"
"That is hard," said Rolf, who needed time for thinking. "Just wait, Jul, I'll find it." Herewith, Rolf sat down on a chair in order to think in comfort.