| Contents | Samuel Hirschler has shown to Otterbourg his niece’s [Betty’s] letter in which she authorized her uncle to make the judgement concerning her future; Otterbourg, who thinks about this issue very differently than the rest of her relatives, had asked his wife, her aunt, to find out from Betty whether as the protagonist in this drama she is really prepared to give her heart and hand to Hirschler; the answer was still undetermined; while Betty more or less instructed her uncle to give Hirschler a negative response, her parents still seem to be minded to proceed with the connection; Otterbourg describes Betty’s letter to Hirschler as very harsh and he would not have written it that way; however, he wants to tell her what impression Hirschler made on him, so she can judge whether he, Otterbourg is in favour of the connection or not; the first performance Hirschler had made before him, had been a ridiculous lament, that the girl he wanted to make happy should be warmer towards him; when Hirschler then continued that he had initially believed Betty to be completely poor and only then recognized the wealth of her parents, etc., etc, Otterbourg had come to the conclusion that if he were a young woman he probably would not want to give his hand and heart to this man, even against the threat of remaining a spinster for life; Hirschler then expanded that he would not accept any liabilities from the sides of her parents and that he might at some stage have to go to Croatia to take over his father’s business; when after these hard words Otterbourg proceeded to ask him with all caution and tact following her father’s instruction what Hirschler had to offer, the latter was offended and wounded and told him repeatedly that it was his own business what he did and who he was; Hirschler then sat down and wrote the letter she, Betty had now received, after which he, Otterbourg wrote the answer that her Aunt Jeanette had sent her; this, he concludes is the state of affairs; but now, in response to Betty’s mother’s reactions, which indicate that she is still regretting the outcome, her aunts are undertaking further investigations; as to him, he leaves it now to her parents and herself; however, he encourages her to take on the fight between duty and other inclinations; he will support her
Otterbourg’s wife, Jeanette (Aunt Jenny) adds her greatings, expressing the regret that Otterbourg had not found the time to answer to her request earlier; she is sad about the misunderstandings that have arisen from this delay and assures that they are only interested in her happiness and future; as to Betty’s letter to Hirschler, she does not criticize what her husband criticizes, it is the letter of a young woman and she can empathize with it; Jeanette thinks that Betty needed to act this way; Hirschler’s feeling will not be reduced by this; she only regrets that Betty’s mother seems to suffer from this affair; one way or another Betty’s mother will lose her daughter and that makes her suffer; however, Jeanette assures Betty that Otterbourg’s letter to Betty's mother will help |