to protect the defenceless woman and to raise her up to his own level."
Guste's expression had become more and more solemn. She pressed her palms together, and looked at him, with her head on one side, fervently entreating him. This did not seem to be enough—he obviously demanded something quite unusual, so Guste fell plump upon her knees—then Diederich graciously approached her. "So shall it be," he said, his eyes flashing.
At this point Frau Daimchen entered. "Hello," she said, "what has happened?" With great presence of mind Guste replied: "Oh, mother, we are looking for my ring." Whereupon Frau Daimchen also got down on the ground. Diederich did not wish to be behind-hand. After they had all crawled about for a while in silence, Guste cried: "Here it is!" She stood up and said in resolute tones:
"In case you don't know, mother, I have changed my mind." Frau Daimchen, still out of breath, did not understand at first. Guste and Diederich united their efforts in making the matter clear to her. In the end she admitted that she herself had thought the same thing because of the way people were talking: "In any case, Wolfgang was too lackadaisical, except when he lad had something to drink. The family was the only thing, on the other hand, the Hesslings don't amount to much."
Diederich said she would see, and announced that nothing could be taken as settled until the practical side of the question had been discussed. They had to produce documentary evidence of Guste's dowry, and then he insisted upon joint-ownership of the property—then, whatever he did with the money afterwards, nobody would interfere! Every time they opposed him he took hold of the door handle, and each time Guste remonstrated with her mother in a beseeching whisper: "Do you want the whole town to be wagging their jaws to-morrow because I have got rid of one man and lost the other?"
When everything was settled Diederich became genial. He
