Katharine is engaged to a young fellow from the next valley? They have
just, sent for the betrothal wine."

"So?" said Lenz. "I saw her standing with some one to-day, as I came
from church. She is a good, honest girl. I wish her all happiness. Were
you at the wedding in the church to-day, Annele?"

"Yes, and I saw you there. You deserve to go to heaven for your
kindness to Faller?"

"Heaven is easily won then. How well the minister preached, did he not?
There was some good lesson for every one, married or single. The word
of God is like music. Every hearer, though there should be hundreds and
hundreds of them, takes the whole without robbing his neighbor."

"I assure you, I would almost rather hear you than the minister. Every
word you speak is so clear, so--I hardly know how to tell what I mean.
I sometimes think it is a pity you are only a clockmaker."

"Only a clockmaker? I am glad I am a clockmaker; it is a noble calling.
I could preach you a sermon upon it. The world is a clock, wound up by
God from everlasting to everlasting. The stars circle in the heavens,
one about another. There are no clocks in Paradise, Pilgrim says. That
may be; but from the hour when men had to labor they had to divide the
time. Just think, we should be like children and fools if we could not
tell the hours!"

"You make all so clear to me! I never thought of that before."

Lenz grew more eloquent under this praise.

"I shall hold fast to my trade of clockmaker. If I can do no better, I
will make the old-fashioned wooden clocks; they will at least secure me
bread. Musical clocks bring in more money, to be sure, but they can
only be made when ordered; and, as lovers of music do not turn up every
day, I might find myself with nothing in my pocket. My pet project is
to form a clockmaker's union, so that all could work together for the
benefit of each. If I could but accomplish that, I would engage to make
nothing but standard regulators for the next seven years,--for all the
rest of my life, if need be."

"You are very good, I am sure," said Annele; "but your specialty is
music."

"Ah, music! when I leave clocks and get back to that I am so happy,
so--"

"Your heart dances for joy and keeps high holiday."

"Dear Annele, you are so--ah! if I only knew--"

"Well? what would you know?" There was a warmth, a tenderness, in the
simple words that brought the hot blood to his face.

"I cannot tell," he stammered. "If you do not kno