CHAPTER VI

eyescarefullyfixedonthepaper-knife,butconsciousofhiseverylookandmovement,"Iwonderifheisasartfulashelooks.SurelyUncleJoachimmusthaveknownwhathewaslike,andwouldneverhavetoldmetokeephimifhehadnotbeenhonest.Perhapsheisperfectlyhonest,andwhenImeethiminheavenhowashamedIshallbeofmyselfforhavinghaddoubts!"AndthenshefelltomusingonwhatsortofanappearanceachastenedandangelicDellwigwouldprobablypresent,andlookedupsuddenlyathimwithnewinterest. "ItrustIhavemademyselfcomprehensible?"hewasasking,havingjustcometotheendofwhathefeltwasamasterlyrésuméofHerrvonLohm'sduties. "Ibegyourpardon?"saidAnna,bringingherthoughtsbackwithdifficultyfromtheconsiderationofnimbuses,"Oh,aboutAmtsvorstehers—no,"shesaid,shakingherhead,"youhavenot.Butthatismyfault.Ican'tunderstandeverythingatonce.Ishalldobetterlateron." "Natürlich,natürlich,"Dellwigvehementlyassuredher,whilehemadeinwardcommentsontheinnateincapacityofallWeiber,ashecalledthem,tograspthesimplestfactconnectedwithlawandjustice. "Tellmeaboutthelivestock,"saidAnna,rememberingUncleJoachim'sfrequentandaffectionateallusionstohisswine."Aretheremanypigs?" "Pigs?"repeatedDellwig,liftinguphishandsasthoughmerewordswereinsufficienttoexpresshisfeelings,"suchpigsasthegraciousMissnowpossessesarenowhereelsetobefoundinPomerania.Theyarethepride,andatthesametimetheenvy,ofthewholeprovince.'Letmysausages,'saidtheHerrLandrathlastwinter,whenthetimeforkillingdrewnear,'letmysausagesconsistsolelyofthepigsrearedatKleinwaldebymyfriendtheOberinspectorDellwig.'TheFrauLandr?thinwasdeeplyinjured,forshetoobreedsandfattenspigs,butnotlikeours—notlikeours." "WhoistheHerrLandrath?"askedAnnaabsentlybutimmediatelyrememberingthedescriptionoftheAmtsvorstehersheaddedquickly,"Nevermind—don'texplain.Isupposeheissomesortofanofficial,andIshallnotbequiteclearaboutthesedifferentofficialstillIhavelivedheresometime." "Natürlich,natürlich,"agreedDellwigandleavingtheLandrathunexplainedhelaunchedforthintoadissertationonAnna'spigs,whoseexcellencies,itappeared,werewhollyduetotheunrivalledskillhehadforyearsdisplayedintheirtreatment."Ihavenochildren,"hesaid,witharesignedandpiousupwardglance,"andmywife'smaternalinstinctsfindtheirsatisfactionintendingandfatteningthesefineanimals.Shecannotlistentotheircriesthedaytheyarekilled,andwithdrawsintothecellar,whereshepreparesthestuffing.ThegraciousMissatethecutletsofonethisveryday.Itwaskilledonpurpose." "Wasit?Iwishithadn'tbeen,"saidAnna,frowningattheremembranceofthatmeal."I—Idon'twantthingskilledonmyaccount.I—don'tlikepig." "Notlikepig?"echoedDellwig,droppinghislowerjawinhisamazement."DidIunderstandarightthatthegraciousonedoesnoteatpig'sfleshgladly?AndmywifeandIwhothoughttoprepareajoyforher!"Heclaspedhishandstogetherandstaredatherindismay.Indeed,hewassomuchovercomebythisextraordinaryandwilfulspurningofnature'sbestgiftsthatforamomenthewassilent,andknewnothowheshouldproceed.Weretherenotconcentratedinthebodyofasinglepigagreaterdiversityofjoysthaninanyotherformofpleasurethathecouldcalltomind?Diditnotinclude,besidestheprofounderdelightsofitsroastedribs,suchsolidsatisfactionsashams,sausages,andbacon?Didnotitsliver,discreetlymanipulated,rivaltheliversofStrasburggeeseindelicacy?Werenotitsbrainsasourceofmutualcongratulationtoanentirefamilyatsupper?Didnotitsverysnout,boiledwithpeas,makeanotherwiseinferiorsoupdelicious?Theribsofthisparticularpigwerereposingatthatmomentinacoolplace,carefullyshieldedfromharmbyhiswife,reservedfortheEasterSundaydinneroftheirnewmistress,who,havingbegunatherfirstmealwiththelesserjoysofcutlets,wastobefedwithdifferentpartsintheorderoftheirexcellencetilltheclimaxofrejoicingwasreachedonEasterDayinthedishofSchweinebraten,andwhowasnowdeclaring,inadie-away,affectedsortofvoice,thatshedidnotwanttoeatpigatall.Where,then,washervulnerablepoint?Howwouldheeverbeabletotouchher,toinfluenceher,ifshewasindifferenttothechiefmeansofhappinessknowntothedwellersinthoseparts?Thatwastherealaimandendofhislabours,ofthelabours,asfarashecouldsee,ofeveryoneelse—tomakeasmuchmoneyaspossibleinordertoliveaswellaspossibleandwhatdidlivingwellmeanifitdidnotmeanthebestfood?Andwhatwasthebestfoodifnotpig?Nottobekilledonheraccount!Onwhoseaccount,then,couldtheybekilled?Withanowneralwaysabouttheplace,andrefusingtohavepigskilled,howwouldheandhiswifebeabletoindulge,withsatisfactoryfrequency,intheirfavouritefood,orofferittotheirexpectantfriendsonSundays?HemournedoldJoachim,whososeldomcamedown,andwhenhedidatehisshareofporklikeaman,moresincerelyatthatmomentthanhewouldhavethoughtpossible."MeinseligerHerr,"heburstoutbrokenly,completelyupsetbythedifferencebetweenuncleandniece,"meinseligerHerr——"Andthen,unabletogoon,felltoblowinghisnosewithviolence,fortherewererealtearsinhiseyes. Annalookedup,surprised.Shethoughthehadbeenspeakingofpigs,andherehewasonasuddenbewailinghislatemaster.Whenshesawthetearsshewasdeeplytouched."Poorman,"shesaidtoherself,"howunjustIhavebeen.OfcourseheloveddearUncleJoachimandmycominghere,anutterstranger,takingpossessionofeverything,mustbeverydreadfulforhim."Shegotup,atonceanxious,asshealwayswas,tocomfortandsootheanyonewhowassad,andputherhandgentlyonhisarm."Ilovedhimtoo,"shesaidsoftly,"andyouwhoknewhimsolongmustfeelhisdeathdreadfully.Wewilltryandkeepeverythingjustashewouldhavelikedit,won'twe?Youknowwhathiswisheswere,andmusthelpmetocarrythemout.YoucannothavelovedhimmorethanIdid—dearUncleJoachim!" Shefeltveryneartearsherself,andcondonedthesonorousnose-blowingastheexpressionofanhonourableemotion. AndDellwig,whenhepresentlyreachedhishomeandwasmetatthedoorbyhiswife'seager"Well,howwasshe?"laconicallyreplied"Mad."