The landlady wrung her hands, and cried that she had known nothing of
it all, that she was ready to kill herself.

"Father-in-law," said Lenz, "is my money lost too?"

"In the common pile, there is no distinguishing one man's money from
another's," answered the landlord, oracularly. "But a compromise can be
made. Give me three years, and I will pay fifty per cent. Take a seat.
There is no use wringing your hands. Lisbeth!" he called out into the
kitchen, "my dinner!" The cook brought in a regular dinner, such as was
served on ordinary days. Mine host took off his cap, put it on his head
again, settled himself comfortably in his arm-chair, poured out some
water, and began to eat, with the composure of true wisdom. "Draw up a
chair, wife," he said, looking up from his second plateful. "These are
the best horses for pulling up a steep hill; a good piece of meat in
your stomach is a great help on a hard journey. Has all the wine been
sealed, or can you get me a draught?"

"It is all sealed."

"Then let me have a cup of strong coffee to wind up with; there is
comfort in that."

Lenz pressed his hands to his head. Was he out of his senses? Can this
man, in whose fall the fate of hundreds is involved, be actually
sitting down, with a good appetite, to his dinner? The landlord was
condescendingly talkative, and bestowed high commendations upon Annele
for not rushing down too, and swelling the chorus of senseless
lamentations. "You have a clever, capable wife,--the cleverest of all
my children. It is a pity she is not a man, to turn her enterprise to
account. The world would look up if she were at the head of affairs. My
Annele ought to be the mistress of a great establishment, a great
public-house; she would make it the first in the country."

Lenz was indignant at these ready compliments, and at the landlord's
whole bearing in such an hour as this. But he fought down his anger,
and the very struggle made his voice sound hesitating, almost
submissive, as he said: "Father-in-law, take care, above all things,
that the wood behind my house shall not be cut down. I have heard axes
at work there the whole morning, which must not be."

"Why not?" cried the landlord, with all the more vehemence for Lenz's
meekness. "Why not? Whoever owns the wood has the right to do with it
what he will."

"Father-in-law, you promised me the wood."

"But you did not take it. The wood is sold to the lumber-merchant from
Trenzlingen."

"Yo