Astonished, and somewhat embarrassed, I now perceived that the ear
and the shoulder, whose possessor had seized so horribly upon the
contents of the rusk basket, and over whom I had poured out my
gall belonged to nobody else than to August's father, and my
patron. The fat gentleman who sat upon the sofa was Wilhelmina's
uncle.
The kindness and gayety of my new friends made me soon feel at
home and happy. The old people treated me like a child of the
house, the young ones as a brother, and the two little ones seemed
to anticipate a gingerbread-friend in me.
After I had received two cups of tea from Wilhelmina's pretty
hand, to which I almost feared taking, in my abstraction of mind,
more rusks than my excellent patron, I rose up to take my leave.
They insisted absolutely upon my passing the night there; but I
abode by my determination of spending the first happy night in my
old habitation, amid thanksgiving to the lofty Ruler of my fate.
They all embraced me afresh; and I now also embraced all rightly,
from the bottom of my heart, Wilhelmina also, although not without
having gracious permission first. "I might as well have left that
alone," thought I afterwards, "if it is to be the first and last
time!" August accompanied me back.
My host stood in my room amid the overturned chairs and tables,
with a countenance which alternated between rain and sunshine; on
one side his mouth drew itself with a reluctant smile up to his
ear, on the other it crept for vexation down to his double chin;
the eyes followed the same direction, and the whole had a look of
a combat, till the tone in which August indicated to him
that he should leave us alone, changed all into the most friendly,
grinning mien, and the proprietor of the same vanished from the
door with the most submissive bows.
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