CHAPTER XIV

pontheseriesofdriftingslastingtwentyyears,whichlandedher,byawonderfulstrokeoffortune,inAnna'sarms. Whenshesawtheadvertisement,herfuturewaslookingveryblack.Shewas,asusual,undernoticetoquit,andhadnootherplaceinview,andhadsavednothing.Itistruetheadvertisementonlyofferedahometowomenofgoodfamilybutshegotoverthatdifficultybyreflectingthatherfamilywasallinheaven,andthattherecouldbenorelationsmorerespectablethanangels.ShewrotethereforeinglowingtermsofthepaternalKuhr?uber,"gegenw?rtigmitGott,"assheputit,expatiatingonhisintellectandgifts(hewasamanofletters,shesaid),whileheyetdweltuponearth.Manske,withallhisinquiries,couldfindoutnothingaboutherexceptthatshewas,asshesaid,anorphan,poor,friendless,andstrugglingandAnna,justthenimpatientoftheobjectionstheprincessmadetoeveryapplicant,quicklydecidedtoacceptthisone,againstwhomnotawordhadbeensaid.SoFr?uleinKuhr?uber,whohadspentherlifeinshirkingwork,whowasquitethriftlessandimprovident,whohadneverfeltparticularlyunhappy,andwhosefatherhadbeenapostman,foundherselfbeingwelcomedwithanenthusiasmthatastonishedhertoAnna'shome,beingsmileduponandpatted,havingbeautifulthingssaidtoher,thingstheveryoppositetothosetowhichshehadbeenused,thingstotheeffectthatshewasnowtorestherselfforeverandtobesureandnotdoanythingexceptjustthatwhichmadeherhappiest. Itwasverywonderful.Itseemedmuch,muchtoogoodtobetrue.Andthedelightthatfilledherasshesateatingexcellentcakes,andthediscomfortsheenduredbecauseofthestaresoftheothertwowomen,andtheconsciousnessthatshehadneverlearnedhowtobehaveinthesocietyofpersonswithvonbeforetheirnames,producedsuchmingledfeelingsofecstasyandfrightinherbosomthatitwasquitenaturalsheshoulddropthesugar-tongs,andupsetthecream-jug,andchokeoverhercoffee—allofwhichthingsshedid,toAnna'sdistress,whosufferedwithherinheragitation,whiletheeyesoftheothertwowatchedeachsuccessivecatastrophewithprofoundestattention. Itwasanuncomfortablehalfhour."Iamshy,andtheyareshy,"Annasaidtoherself,apologisingasitwerefortheundoubtedflatnessthatprevailed.Howcoulditbeotherwise,shethought?Didsheexpectthemtogush?Heavenforbid.Yetitwasanimportantcrisisintheirlives,thispassingforeverfromneglectandlonelinesstolove,andshewonderedvaguelythattheobviouslyparamountfeelingshouldbeinterestintheawkwardnessofFr?uleinKuhr?uber. HerGermanfaltered,andthreatenedtogiveoutentirely.Theinevitablepausecame,andtheycouldhearthesparrowsquarrellinginthegoldengarden,andthecreakingofadistantpump. "Howstillitis,"observedthebaronesswithaslightshiver. "Youhavenofarmyardnearthehousetomakeitmorecheerful,"saidFrauvonTreumann."Myfather'shousehadthegardenattheback,andthefarmyardinthefront,andonedidnotfeelsocutofffromeverything.Therewasalwayssomethinggoingonintheyard—alwayslifeandnoises." "Really?"saidAnnaandagainthepumpandthes