“Cousin,” said Johannes, “pay isn’t everything; you must back Uli up and you must trust him.  We’ve treated him almost like our own child, and he’d feel very strange if he was to be nothing but a servant.”

“Oh,” said the mother, “don’t be anxious, Johannes, we’ll do all we can.  When we make coffee for ourselves in between meals, it can’t be but he shall have a cup of it.  And we have our piece of meat every day, but the servants only on Sunday.  What would become of us if we gave ’em meat every day?  But if you think best we’ll see to it that Uli gets a piece of meat every now and then.”

“Cousin,” said Johannes, “that’s not the thing, and Uli doesn’t want it either, for it only makes the others envious.  No matter how you do it, they find it out just the same.  We had a maid once that used to smell of all the pots when she came in from the field, and she always guessed when coffee had been given to the other servants; and then she used to sulk for a week, so that you could hardly stand it.  No, you must have confidence in him and help him; then it’ll be all right.”

Joggeli did not want the conversation to continue and took Johannes around through stables and granary, as long as it was light.  He asked for advice and got it, but Johannes would praise nothing.  Of the calves he said that they ought to be looked to, for they had lice; and of the sheep that they were too cramped for room, that they would squeeze each other and the lambs would be ruined.  For the rest, the inspection was made in silence.  On the way back they found Uli standing gloomily in the front shed and took him in with them; but he remained down-cast the whole evening—­indeed on the verge of tears whenever any one spoke to him.

On the following morning Johannes made ready for his return, after having had to eat beyond his capacity and drink a nip of brandy on top of it, although he said he never did so in the morning.  Uli almost clung to his coat like a child that fears its father will run away from it; and when he started to give him his hand, Uli said he would drive a piece with him if he might; he didn’t know when he should see him again.

“And how do you like it?” asked Johannes, as soon as they were away from the house.

“Oh, master, I can’t tell you how I feel.  I’ve been in a lot of places, but I never saw anything like that.  So help me God, there’s no order in the place anywhere.  The liquid manure runs into the stable; they’ve never cleaned out the dung properly, the horses’ hind feet are higher than the forefeet; half the grain is in the straw; the loft is like a pig-sty; the tools aren’t fit to be seen.  The men all look at me as if they’d like to eat me.  Either they give me no answer, or they give me impudent ones, so that I feel as if I’d have to punch their heads.”