was always accompanied by Blasi, who marched by her side with a triumphant
air as if to say, "Jost can judge for himself who holds the place of honor
here!" When Jost joined them, Veronica took care that Blasi should walk
between herself and the intruder, and she neither said a word herself,
nor seemed to hear what the others were saying. Jost grew pale with
suppressed rage. Whenever at other times he met Blasi anywhere, he threw
contemptuous words at him. If occasionally Blasi stepped into the Rehbock
for a glass of beer, Jost would cry out,

"Oh ho, she allows it to-night, does she, you donkey of a servant? How
will you look when she doesn't want your services any longer, and gives
you your dismissal? She is already beginning to soften towards me, but
until she comes to me and begs me to hear her, I won't listen to a word,
nor pay the slightest attention to her."

Such remarks as these, thrown out before all the company at the Rehbock
were very exasperating to Blasi and several times he seized the big bowl
to throw it at the insolent fellow's head. He did not throw it however,
for Veronica had charged him to have as little as possible to do with
Jost, and especially never to quarrel with him, and Veronica's influence
over Blasi grew stronger every day. So he did not throw the bowl, but
instead, drained it to the bottom and then left the room.

About this time Blasi began to meet Judith very often on his evening walk.
Judith seemed to have some business that took her frequently to Fohrensee.
Strange surmises were aroused, among the Fohrensee people; for it was
known that she went to visit the cattle-dealer. The two were often seen
standing before his house in the open street, gesticulating vehemently
with hands and arms. The people about said,