the stockings and underdrawers which were hanging on the line in front of him began to hop and turn somersaults like so many marionettes. At first he was much amused, but gradually a suspicion crept into his mind that some mischievous hand was at work pulling the wires of this puppet show. Pretty soon he caught sight of Gesima's black stockings skipping behind a big shirt and he shouted loudly that if the performance didn't cease he would throw a plate at the person who was pulling the strings, at her risk and peril. The show stopped at once.
Hänsli then appeared on the stage, though at a respectable distance, on the other side of the little brook in the vegetable garden. From there he made an effort to open negotiations, by announcing that he had important news. The people here, he began, were friends of Uncle Dolf, who often stayed several days at a time in the Althäusli. For instance, the shaggy dog was a present from him. Seppli, the stable boy, had said so. And the brown horse in the stable too, a splendid young horse. It was going to drive them to Bischoffshardt, he thought they said. The strange gentleman arranged it because he thought it would be too much for Gesima to walk that far, and because there would probably be a thunderstorm before long. The strange gentleman was going to pay for everything, the drive and the dinner. He was on his wedding trip, and very, very rich. And so on, with similar details.
But, getting no response to these astonishing statements except some humored grunts, Hänsli realized that the time to negotiate had not yet come and he fell back.
When Gerold had finished his soup, he got up to walk around a little. First he looked at the drawings which were stuck all
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