ying in a loud voice
as he seated himself at dinner, what indeed he frequently had said
before: "I never read my letters before dinner, for whether agreeable
or disagreeable, they are equally bad for digestion. Railway scrip
shall never disturb me."

There was, however, a malicious scoffer at another table, who was not
taken in by this superior wisdom, and who thought--"A steam-engine is
driving round and round you for all that, in spite of your
indifference;" and this scoffer was, of course, Petrowitsch.

After dinner, Pilgrim passed the table repeatedly at which Petrowitsch
was seated, and several times stood opposite to it: four eyes stared at
him with amazement. Bueble, who was perched on his master's knee, fixed
his eyes on him suspiciously and growled, for he had a perception that
some service was to be claimed from his master, and Petrowitsch glanced
up repeatedly from his newspaper: "What does the man want--has he a
wood, too, that he wishes to sell?"

Pilgrim ran his fingers restlessly through his long thin hair, but this
did not help him any nearer to Petrowitsch, who at this moment rose,
paid his score, and went away. Pilgrim hurried after him into the
street, saying, "Herr Lenz! pray allow me a couple of words."

"Good day,--that is exactly a couple of words."

"Herr Lenz! I want nothing for myself; but I consider it my duty
to----"

"Your duty is nothing to me."

"But it does concern you, Herr Lenz. Just imagine that another person
is telling you what I am about to say; it is right you should know it."

"I am not at all curious."

"Briefly,--it concerns your nephew, Lenz."

"Really? I suspected as much."

"But more than that; you may secure his happiness for life."

"Each man must secure his own."

"It will only cost you a visit to the Doctor."

"Is Lenz ill?"

"No! the case is shortly this. He must marry, and he wishes to do so;
and the best wife for him is the Doctor's Amanda. I have reflected on
the matter in every point of view. It seems difficult to persuade him
to pluck up courage to go himself. He also thinks--he did not say so,
but I know it--that he is not rich enough; but if his uncle would only
make the proposal for him, and at the same time promise----"

"Really? I thought that was the point you were coming to. If my
brother's son wants a wife and chooses one, he may get one himself; I
am an old bachelor, and know nothing of such affairs."

"If his friends do nothing in the