Part 5 - But he was doomed to meet with disappointment.— The Pümpelhagen carriage was driving slowly through the village,

But he was doomed to meet with disappointment.— The Pümpelhagen carriage was driving slowly through the village, when Mrs. von Rambow suddenly asked her husband: „Who is that lovely girl who bowed to us just now?“ He answered that it was Louisa Hawermann, his bailiff’s only daughter, and that the house beside which she was standing was the parsonage. Meanwhile Muchel and his two daughters were going out at their gate as if for a walk, when as ill-luck would have it, our old friend Henny was driven by the demon of housekeeping to go out and feed the chickens. She had on a white cotton cap trimmed with frills round the face, and the inevitable black merino gown which she still considered good enough for morning wear. When she saw Pomuchelskopp and the two girls passing out at the gate, she was very angry with her husband for going without her, and so she rubbed the chickens food off her hands on the old black skirt, and followed them. Her stiff unbending figure clothed in white and black looked exactly like a tombstone going out for a walk.
„Muchel!“ she called after her husband.—“Don’t look round,“ said Muchel, „our being here must seem to be accidental.“—“Kopp!“ she shouted. „Ar’n’t you going to wait for me? Do you want me to run myself out of breath?“—“I’m sure I don’t care whether you do or not,“ growled Pomuchelskopp. „Don’t look round, girls, I hear the carriage now. It’ll be here immediately.“—“But, father,“ remonstrated Sally, „that’s mother calling.“—“ Pshaw! Mother here, mother there!“ cried Pomuchelskopp in a rage. „She’ll spoil every-thing. But, my dear children,“ he continued after a short pause, „don’t repeat what I’ve just said to your mother.“—Henny now came up with them, very much out of breath with her run: „Kopp!“ she began, but got no further in her speech, for the carriage had now reached them, and Pomuchelskopp stood still, and making a low bow, exclaimed: „A-ah!—I wish you joy, I wish you joy!“ and Mally and Sally curtsied at the same time as their father spoke. Alick desired the coachman to stop, and said he was glad to see Mr. Pomuchelskopp and his family looking so well. Whilst this was going on, Muchel was pulling his wife’s dress secretly as a sign to her to greet the von Rambows also, but she remained standing as stiff and straight as before, only puffing and blowing a little after her late exertions. Frida leant back in the carriage, and looked as if she had nothing to do with what was going on. Muchel then proceeded to speak of the happy chance which had led to the unexpected pleasure of this meeting, and told how he and his two daughters were taking a walk, and had never here he stopped short, for at the same moment he received a sharp pinch from Henny, and heard her whisper savagely: „You’re treating your wife with very little respect!“—As soon as Pomuchelskopp came to this abrupt conclusion of his address, Alick signed to the coachman to drive on, saying at the same time that he hoped soon to have the pleasure of seeing his neighbour again.