How many wicked girls could be suffocated there! A man, too, might easily leap into it, and be at rest! Then he turned back again and hastened home.
At home they were still chattering and exclaiming at the pretensions of Aunt Teresa.

The youngest girl was passed from hand to hand, and kissed and embraced as if some great misfortune awaited her.
"Poor Fanny, it would be better for you to be a servant with us than to live with Aunt Teresa!" "Oh, what a pleasant time you'll have, sewing and knitting all day long, and in the evening reading devotional books to aunty till she dozes off!" "I know she will always be running us down; you will never see us, and we shall become quite strangers to you." "Poor Fanny, the old faggot will beat you, too." "Poor Fanny!" "My poor girl!" "Poor little sister!" They quite frightened the child with all these lamentations, and it was at last determined that if Fanny would say to papa, if he pressed her, that she did not want to go to Aunt Teresa, they would all take her part.
At that same moment Meyer's steps were audible upon the staircase.

He rushed into the room with his hat on--but, indeed, in such a house as that it was not usual to take off one's hat at all at any time.

He knew that every one was looking at his face, but he also knew that his face was distorted enough to frighten any one who looked at it.
Without bestowing a glance on any one, he simply said to Fanny-- "Put on your hat and cloak, and look sharp about it!" "Why, papa ?" asked Fanny.

Like all badly-brought-up children, she always said, "What for ?" before doing anything she was told to do.
"You are to come with me." "Where ?" "To Aunt Teresa's." Every one present affected an air of astonishment.