Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/68

64 for many days; but her face bore the impress of an ill-disguised sadness; it could be seen that she had been weeping. "The departure of Reinhold is the cause of these tears; she loves him then!" said Frederick to himself. This thought nearly broke his heart, and he dared not raise his eyes towards her.

Meanwhile the great tun was finished. Master Martin, before his work, felt his former gaiety return. "Yes, my boy," said he to Frederick, striking him familiarly on the shoulder, "if thou canst succeed in doing a piece of work like this, and if thou pleasest Rosa, thou shalt be my son-in-law; this will not prevent you from cultivating the art of singing, and thus you will gain two excellent reputations."

As work came from every quarter to his work-shop, master Martin was obliged to engage two new journeymen, very skilful men at their trade, but free livers, drinkers and roysterers. The work-shop soon resounded with jokes or such gross songs that Rosa was forced to abstain from going there, and Frederick was completely isolated.

When at times Frederick met his beloved, he sighed and fixed a glance upon her that seemed to say:

"My cherished Rosa, you are no longer good and charming to me, as at the time when Reinhold was here!" To which the young girl, lowering her eyes, answered by her modest embarrassment: "Master Frederick, have you any thing to say to me?" But in these very rare instances, the poor young man remained speechless, and as if petrified: and Rosa disappeared like the soft flashes of lightning during the warm summer evenings, which the eye admires without being able to seize upon them.

Master Martin did not cease to insist that Frederick should set himself about preparing his master-workman's master-piece. He had himself selected a sufficient quantity of oak boards without veins or knots, and which had already undergone five good years' seasoning, sheltered both from dampness and dryness. No one was to assist Frederick, except the old man