Bauer, Schlinke, Kleinschmidt and Kook are in Klemzig today, why?? -- ?

August 16th, 1839.
Today was a very strange day for me and, God willing, could be one of the most momentous of my life. At noon I received a letter from Mr. Hall to the effect that the Governor had given me the sum of £20 Sterling as a gratuity for my instruction of the natives, and had directed the same to the Treasurer. This good news encouraged me even more to carry out the project that had occupied my soul all morning and made my heart pound, namely, to deliver the letter to Bertha Teusler mentioned on the 13th of this month. Of course, the whole way I was thinking about how I could most conveniently get rid of the letter and came to the decision, before I handed over my paint for the writing board to Joiner Till(126), to stop by Mr. Fiedler's in the hope of finding the recipient alone. And strangely enough, a small bottle that I found close to Klemzig gave me the right opportunity to do this. Bertha was actually alone at home, only the schoolmaster [Friedrich Kavel(127)] was of all the residents of the house present. The former was a little embarrassed when I came in, perhaps because of her clothes, because when I asked if she was home alone, she very deliberately ( 103 ) said that she herself had only just come out of the garden, indicating that that was why she hadn't cleaned up; She was also very friendly, and when I offered her the above-mentioned bottle as a gift, she was obviously appreciative. She then hurried into the other room, while I sat down, half-listened to the schoolmaster's story and thought of a way to get rid of my burden. I found this in a pipe of tobacco; I hurried into the room where Bertha had gone before me and asked her for a dozen cigars. While she gave them to me, I took out my letter and gave it to her, saying that she should read it when she was alone. She didn't seem to understand me at first, or was too embarrassed, because when I wanted to burn it and she obligingly got me a light, she left the letter on the table.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fiedler came in through the door of the other room, but fortunately was delayed by the schoolmaster for so long that I gained time to tell Bertha again that she should like to read the letter when she was alone. That she now suspected its contents was demonstrated by the speed with which she took it and hid it; at the same time, her embarrassment was evident from the fact that she clenched the letter as she put it in her pocket. In all this I enjoyed unexpected frankness and lost my composure all the less in front of Mr. Fiedler as I was busy with my cigar, which I soon lit for the second time without any need, as it was still burning when I asked him whether his indisposition was leaving him and Bertha immediately moved away. I believed the latter's later impartiality didn't predict anything good, but her attention made up for it.

( 104 ) I waited all afternoon for an opportunity to tell her that if she had no one else, she would like to send me an answer through Mrs. Rhen(128), but it was not given to me because Proudt(129) and the schoolmaster were present. Towards