proud Annele of the Lion to find that a
greeting from her is no longer the honor it used to be."

"She is not Annele of the Lion now; she is my wife."

"She is, before God and man. It was your own choice; I warned you."

Lenz hurried to the doctor's, who, as we have said, also filled the
office of mayor; he was not at home. Thorns beset him on every side.
His friends were not to be found, and his enemies let out all their
secret venom against him, choosing his moment of helplessness to mock
and torture him. He hastened up the hill again, past his house and into
the wood beyond, where he ordered the wood-cutters to stop their work.

"Will you pay us our day's wages?"

"Yes."

"All right." They shouldered their axes and went home.

In the house Lenz found Annele embracing the children, and crying: "O
my poor children! You will have to beg your bread, poor little ones!"

"Not while I have life and health. I am the head; only be calm and
pleasant!"

"I have never been otherwise. You are mistaken, if you think that,
because my father has failed, I am going to crawl at your feet, and let
you do what you will with me. Not a bit of it! I don't give way an
inch. Now show your boasted good-nature! Now show how you can support
your wife."

"I am most ready to; but how give to one with closed hands?"

"If you had taken my advice, and bought the Lion, we should have been
provided for, and the house would not have passed into strange hands.
Don't tell me a word about the money. Exactly where you are sitting now
you were sitting that day, and I here, and there stood the glass close
to the edge of the table,--so close that I pushed it further in. Do you
remember? I said to you then plainly and honestly, a business man never
gives his money in that careless way, even to his own father."

"Did you know as long ago as that how matters stood?"

"I knew nothing, nothing at all; I only know what is business-like. Now
let me alone."

"Will you not go to your mother? She is grieving sorely."

"Why should I go to her? to have her set out crying again at sight of
me? Do you suppose I am going down there to be stared at and
commiserated by everybody? to hear the doctor's charming daughters sing
and laugh as I go by? I am sufficient for myself here in my solitude: I
need no one."

"Perhaps it is all for the best," said Lenz, consolingly; "perhaps from
this day you will be happier and better alone here with me. Such days
may, m