landlord, somewhat dejectedly.

"Husband," returned his wife, "you have done a good thing, a very good
thing. We never knew before what firmness our Lenz possessed. I confess
I should never have suspected it in him, but am all the more rejoiced."

Lenz had as much as he could do to soothe Annele, who lay helpless in
his arms. He was obliged to make her drink some wine before she would
raise herself.

"Now go together into the garden, and I will set out the wine in the
arbor," ordered the landlady. She preceded with a bottle and glasses,
followed by the lovers in a close embrace.

"A strange being!" said the landlord to himself, as Lenz left the room.
"These musicians have an engine constantly on hand. He bawls like a
baby at the mention of his mother, the next minute he will sing like a
lark, and wind up with a sermon, like an old Anabaptist. But he is a
good fellow, after all; and when I win my Brazilian suit, or draw my
prize in the lottery, I will pay him his marriage portion the first
thing. He shall have it down in hard gold. No one shall get a copper
till he has had his share."

With this comforting resolution mine host returned to the public room,
where he refreshed himself after his unwonted exertions, and received
with dignity the congratulations of friends and strangers. He spoke
little, but gave it to be understood that a man in his position could
afford to dispense with great riches in a son-in-law. If the man be but
sound and honest,--that was the burden of his remarks, to which all
nodded assent. There lay wisdom in a nutshell.

Lenz and Annele meanwhile were sitting in the garden, full of delight,
and bestowing on one another the fondest caresses. "I feel as if I had
not been at home all this time," said Lenz, "but had been away in
foreign countries, and had just returned from a long journey."

"You have been nowhere but at home," answered Annele, "only you have
been strongly excited by talking with my father. I cannot tell you how
I rejoiced to hear you speak as you did. I wish the whole world could
have heard you and learned to honor you. But really you had no need to
get into such a heat with my father."

"What do you mean?"

"He was not so much in earnest with his warnings and advice as he
seemed. He likes to pretend he can see farther into a millstone than
the rest of the world. If he had been in earnest, he would have brought
up the matter before the betrothal instead of afterwards. He on