“Only our two, Jos and Stefeli; I don’t mean to bring strangers home,” his wife said calmly.
“What! You want to take Jos along, too?” said Vinzenz Lesa much excited. “That would make it out of the question for me to go. If Jos isn’t home to keep things in order, I won’t even budge from here! Count on that.”
But Mrs. Lesa began to show him how easily their hired man could look after the simple work in the stable which had to be done on Sunday. Monday morning Jos would be back again. In this way nothing would be neglected. “Just think, Vinzenz,” concluded his wife, “what Jos has done for us. He has been with us a long while and we have not done the slightest thing for him. I am sure it would give him pleasure to go along. We owe it only to him if you have time now to look over your other farm to see what has to be done there. You can easily stay away a week, for I promise to look after the farm if I have Jos, so you won’t need to grumble.”
Vinzenz Lesa was a just man, eager to act upon what he felt to be right. He was glad to give Jos a well-earned holiday and to have the opportunity besides of carrying out a needful undertaking. After weighing the matter carefully, he finally declared, “All right, we’ll go then, but tell Jos about it as soon as possible. He can plan things out beforehand so everything will stay in order while he is gone.”
“Tomorrow,” said Mrs. Lesa, happy at having such pleasant prospects to tell the children, especially her ever-willing Jos.
At the news of their coming expedition the children showed unbounded delight. Alida and Stefeli jumped from sheer enthusiasm and Hugo said, “Now everything isn’t quite over yet. It will be much easier for us to go away if everybody comes along.”
Jos could hardly realize the treat that lay before him. It was too wonderful to be taken to Freiburg and see the city and get a glimpse of the fine country on the way. From joy and astonishment he could scarcely say a word. It would be his first journey, for he had never been away from his mountain except when he had come to Leuk.
Sunday arrived. The whole company travelled gaily across the beautiful country which lay gleaming in the brightest sunshine. The trip proved even more delightful than they had anticipated. Alida and Stefeli never stopped talking, and Hugo kept busy either joining in with them or pointing out the interesting things along the way, which they would have overlooked on account of their constant chatter. Jos, on the contrary, was so absorbed in the new, beautiful things on every side that he never took his eyes from the landscape and remained in the deepest silence, attentively gazing out.
Thus the hours flew by unnoticed. Quite surprised, the children jumped up from their seats when the father said, “Look out, now, we are nearly at Freiburg.”
In a few minutes the name was actually called out and the train stopped. Mrs. Lesa looked out of the window expectantly to see if the gentlemen had come to meet them. Sure enough, there they were. But the mother uttered a low sigh. She had hoped till the last moment that Mr. Delrick, as a surprise, had brought their boy with him. But Vinzi wasn’t there.