confided
to her at present. She was glad when Reinhold and Mohr entered the
nursery and the review of the children began; but could not help
laughing and secretly nudging her husband, when the father of the
remarkable boy evidently made the greatest effort to do justice to the
twins and the little girl, but with the condescending gentleness a
Cr[oe]sus would show in congratulating a man who had just won a hundred
thalers in a lottery.

He was then obliged to go with Franzelius to see the printing office,
the storerooms, and every nook and corner of the house, during which
the father-in-law made a silent third party. Edwin had gone into the
country alone and did not return until noon, when Reginchen invited
them all to dine with her. The meal was not particularly social. Old
Feyertag did not say a word and seemed to be out of humor with his
son-in-law, who pretended not to notice it, but in spite of the festive
occasion was not unfaithful to his silent nature. Edwin sat beside
Leah, whom he treated with the utmost gayety and tenderness, but, he
still seemed to be in a half dreamy, half absent mood, which at last
became so oppressive to her sensitive nature, that she was obliged to
leave the table before the dinner was half over to conceal her tears.
When she returned with red eyes, she said she had been attacked by one
of her sudden headaches, from which, however, she had not suffered for
years.

The only person, who seemed to be in high spirits, was Mohr, and it was
owing to his efforts, that when they returned to Edwin's house in the
evening, a more cheerful atmosphere pervaded the little circle, at
least for a time.

During the walk the four men had taken about the city after dinner, he
had been compelled to listen to the same melancholy disclosures from
the old gentleman, in which the latter had received no special sympathy
from Leah the evening before. Mohr, on the contrary, took the matter in
the right way, and was psychologist enough to instantly perceive the
remedy for the disease.

"I thank you for your confidence, my dear Herr Feyertag," he said after
gravely listening to the dream about the boots and shoes. "Your state
of mind is extremely interesting to me, the more so, as I've passed
through precisely similar crises myself."

"You, Herr Mohr? You're joking."

"Not at all, my dear sir. If you've only cared for the feet all your
life, I've spent my best days in merely making heads, that is heads to
no