"Anna Maria sat at the head, beside the clergyman, Susanna at her right, and Stürmer next; I sat next to Pastor Grüne, and we formed the upper end of the table. I could see that Anna Maria often looked gravely at Susanna; yet a ray of pleasure broke from her eyes when they rested upon this embodied rosebud, and saw how roguish were the dimples in her cheeks, how her eyes shone, and her little teeth flashed behind the red lips, and how she chattered all manner of pretty, foolish stuff. Isabella's face shone with pride and she looked at the guests in turn; almost every eye was fixed on the girl.
"Then Stürmer rose, and proposed the health of the master of the house—'his best friend,' as he said—and 'the house that was as dear to him as a paternal home.'
"And Anna Maria's face glowed as she raised her glass to touch with him. But Susanna trembled, and put her glass down untouched; she grew pale and quiet, and scarcely spoke again.
"Pastor Grüne raised a full glass to the lady of the house; 'the mistress of Bütze,' he called Anna Maria. The old man was much moved as he made mention of her youth and how serious and careful she was; nevertheless, a Martha, who was never weary in working and doing. Anna Maria let the current of his remarks pass her by, and quietly thanked him as she raised her glass. All crowded about her to touch her glass, last of all, Stürmer; she did not look at him as their glasses touched. But Susanna fixed her eyes on Anna Maria with an expression of astonishment; she had probably never reflected that there was anything great about such activity. I noticed, too, that she shivered suddenly, as if under a disagreeable impression.
"Then there came sounds of music through the wide-opened windows; the dancing was beginning under the oaks, and the family must not be wanting there. Anna Maria rose from the table, and beckoned to Susanna; we old people sat still longer, and chatted of this and that. My old friend was enjoying her afternoon coffee, which she declared she never could do without, too much to leave; the pastor lighted a pipe, and leaned comfortably back in his great arm-chair. Ah! how long we had known each other, had borne together joy and sorrow. We had, indeed, no lack of conversational matter.
"But I did not stay here long, for there is nothing I like so much to see as happy young people dancing. 'Oh, let us go under the oaks,' I said; but Mademoiselle Grüne preferred to take a nap up-stairs in my quiet room, assuring me that she would follow soon; so the pastor escorted me down. When we arrived at the dancing ground, which was surrounded by people, I saw Anna Maria with the head-servant, and Stürmer with the upper housemaid, turning in the floating waltz, for they had to dance with all in turn. But where was Susanna?
"I went around the living wall of people. Under one of the oaks, chairs and tables had been set apart for the family, and, the people had respectfully kept away from this spot. Here stood Susanna, her arm thrown around the rough trunk of the tree, her great eyes fixed on the dancing couples; her delicate nostrils quivered, her breast heaved violently, and tears sparkled in her eyes.
"'I want to dance, too,' she burst forth, passionately; 'I want to dance, too, just one single time!'
"Already Stürmer was coming through the crowd and hurrying up to her. There was no ceremonious request, for a dance, he forgot every formal bow, she was even stretching out her arms toward him, longingly. I think he carried her through the throng rather than that they walked; then he put his arm around her. Was it my imagination, or did he really press her so fast to him that they scarcely touched the ground? As in a dream, I heard Pastor Grüne say something about a Titania. I only saw the gracefully swaying figures, the fluttering pink dress, the bright rose in the dark hair, whirling in the rapid dance, and heard the floating melody of the waltz. And above them the old oaks swayed their branches, letting sportive sunbeams through. So distinctly, ah! so distinctly, I can see all this before me.
"Then she stopped, out of breath, and leaned on his arm, a smile of rapture on her glowing face. Was it all only my fancy? Anna Maria so quiet yonder, scarcely breathing after the quick dance; it was surely my imagination that made me think Susanna ought to have looked a little less enchanted, that she ought not to have danced, being betrothed to another. Yes, indeed, I was carrying it too far. And with whom was she dancing then? With Stürmer, with Klaus's best friend. Could there be any danger in that now, when everything was plain between them?