";
and she nodded approvingly at her husband.

Lenz drew himself up. His face was crimson. "I will not give my hand,"
said he, with sharp decision. "Rather be it maimed, and unfit to hold a
tool for the rest of my life!"

"Do not swear. You said we must not swear," interposed Annele. She
seized his hand, and tried to put it into her father's, but he
resisted. "Let be," he said, sharply, "let be! I will not abjure my
faith; and it would be abjuring my faith to make such a promise. I will
not do it, though you should drive me out of this house, where I had
hoped to find a home. Landlord, I believe you mean well by me, but
every man must follow his own reason. I have no partnership with
Proebler; but, if I had, I am Lenz; I have a right to associate with
whom I please. You force me to say what I would rather not have said. I
do not dishonor myself; on the contrary, I confer honor on others, and
rejoice that it is so. As for this association,--it is called an
association, you are quite right in the name,--I have thought it over
night and day for years, and should understand it better than you do.
You are right in saying there are plenty of fools and knaves who will
laugh at me. I know that. But who, since the world began, tried to do
it a service and was not laughed at? That does not disturb me. I thank
you for your kind concern lest I should sacrifice my property. But I
have carried on our entire business, had the whole house in my hands,
for more than ten years. I will show you my books. You shall see for
yourself if I have made any unlucky ventures. A man does not
necessarily ruin himself by investing in a work for the common good.
Once for all, the very morning of the day when I can bring about this
union I shall put into it whatever portion of my property I judge best.
I speak thus plainly to you, because you have spoken plainly to me. I
will not give my hand. I am willing to take good advice, but must know
best my own concerns. I will not give my hand in pledge of that which
you desire, though my highest happiness upon earth depended on it."

Lenz felt a pressure and a shivering at his heart as he spoke, but he
spoke sharply and firmly to the end.

"Unclench your fist. Will you not give me your hand? You are a brave
man, my own proud, noble Lenz!" cried Annele, and threw herself on his
neck, and wept and laughed convulsively.

"I felt it my duty to caution you. Now I wash my hands of the whole
concern," said the