The King descended and placed himself beside her.  His breathing was short and quick.  She did not dare to look up; she stood as silent and as immovable as a statue.  Then the King embraced her—­and living lips kissed each other.

Translation of S.A.  Stern.

THE NEW HOME AND THE OLD ONE

From ‘On the Heights’

Hansei received various offers for his cottage, and was always provoked when it was spoken of as a ‘tumble-down old shanty.’  He always looked as if he meant to say, “Don’t take it ill of me, good old house:  the people only abuse you so that they may get you cheap.”  Hansei stood his ground.  He would not sell his home for a penny less than it was worth; and besides that, he owned the fishing-right, which was also worth something.  Grubersepp at last took the house off his hands, with the design of putting a servant of his, who intended to marry in the fall, in possession of the place.

All the villagers were kind and friendly to them,—­doubly so since they were about to leave,—­and Hansei said:—­

“It hurts me to think that I must leave a single enemy behind me, I’d like to make it up with the innkeeper.”

Walpurga agreed with him, and said that she would go along; that she had really been the cause of the trouble, and that if the innkeeper wanted to scold any one, he might as well scold her too.

Hansei did not want his wife to go along, but she insisted upon it.

It was in the last evening in August that they went up into the village.  Their hearts beat violently while they drew near to the inn.  There was no light in the room.  They groped about the porch, but not a soul was to be seen.  Dachsel and Wachsel, however, were making a heathenish racket.  Hansei called out: 

“Is there no one at home?”

“No.  There’s no one at home,” answered a voice from the dark room.

“Well, then tell the host, when he returns, that Hansei and his wife were here, and that they came to ask him to forgive them if they’ve done him any wrong; and to say that they forgive him too, and wish him luck.”

“A11 right:  I’ll tell him,” said the voice.  The door was again slammed to, and Dachsel and Wachsel began barking again.

Hansei and Walpurga returned homeward.

“Do you know who that was?” asked Hansei.

“Why, yes:  ’twas the innkeeper himself.”

“Well, we’ve done all we could.”

They found it sad to part from all the villagers.  They listened to the lovely tones of the bell which they had heard every hour since childhood.  Although their hearts were full, they did not say a word about the sadness of parting.  Hansei at last broke silence:—­“Our new home isn’t out of the world:  we can often come here.”

When they reached the cottage they found that nearly all of the villagers had assembled in order to bid them farewell, but every one added, “I’ll see you again in the morning.”