"'It won't do to put off any longer, my lamb; if you have said A, you must say B too. This is the third letter already, and you can't remain a widow forever. Oh, don't make faces now; over there—that is nothing. If I am not very much mistaken, he has turned about now, and—' She probably made a sign, and then she laughed.
"Now I heard Susanna, too. 'My child!' she sobbed.
"'But, darling, do be reasonable. One can't take little children about everywhere. What would you do with the rascal? Let him grow up on his inheritance; few children have so good a one. You can see him at any time, too, darling,' she continued, as Susanna kept on sobbing. 'You will only have to come here. Oh, don't be so fearfully unreasonable; have I ever given you any bad advice? Do you mean to live on here, under the sceptre of your sister-in-law? I should laugh!' said she, after a while, playing her last trump.
"Susanna's weeping suddenly ceased. 'I do not know yet,' she said shortly.
"Then I roused myself from my numbness, and hurried through the garden-parlor to the terrace. There they stood—yes, in truth, there they stood—under the linden, Anna Maria and Stürmer, and looked over toward Dambitz. The last ray of the setting sun tinged the evening sky with such a red glow that I closed my eyes, dazzled; or were they dimmed by tears of joy? Now I heard a light rustle behind me, and, looking around, I saw Susanna. She had laid aside her widow's dress, and had a white rose in her hair. The tears of a few minutes ago were dried.
"I took her by the hand and pointed mutely to the two under the linden. She looked over in surprise. 'Anna Maria?' she asked softly.
"'And Edwin Stürmer!' I added. She did not answer. But she had grown pale, and looked at them fixedly.
"'They have long loved each other, Susanna,' said I, gravely; 'even before you ever came here. But Anna Maria once refused his proposal'—Susanna's eyes were fixed on my lips—'because she would not forsake her only brother!'
"The young wife was silent; but, as Anna Maria and Stürmer now turned in the direction of the house, she turned and went in. Now they came walking up the middle path. And when they stood before me, I saw a happy light in Anna Maria's eyes which I had never seen shine before. She bent over to me and kissed my hand.
"'She has made it very hard for me, has Anna Maria,' said Edwin Stürmer, drawing the girl to him. 'She tried to put on her icy mask again; she could not go away from Susanna and the child. But this time I was too quickly at hand. Was I not, my Anna Maria?'