's principal
reason for accepting you? Not from your tall figure nor your good
heart; not for your property either! No, these are all very secondary
considerations. Her real motive is to prevent one of the Doctor's
daughters getting you. 'Aha! you shan't get him, but I shall!' Believe
me, Annele is a creature that you cannot judge of; you cannot believe
that there are people who have no real delight or happiness, unless
their enjoyment makes some one else miserable; or unless they can
triumph in the thought that they are envied for their riches, their
beauty, or their good fortune. I never knew there were such people in
the world till I knew Annele. My Lenz, don't you try to know anything
further of her, for she will make you miserable. Why do you look so
strangely at me, and never say a word? Attack me, do what you will, say
what you choose to me, only give up Annele, for she is poison! I
implore of you to renounce her. One very important point, too, I quite
forgot: think of it, and God grant that you may not think of it too
late; I do not wish to be a prophet of evil, but Annele will never live
to be old."

"Ha, ha! I suppose you intend now to make out that she has bad health:
her face is like the rose and the lily blended."

"That is not what I meant; but something very different: remember your
mother; was there ever any one who was so pleasant to look at? because
her kind heart was seen in her face; kindness for everyone, and her
love for you, and anxiety about you: that makes an old face charming,
and it does one's heart good to look at it. As for Annele, when she can
no longer plait her hair in a coronet, and has lost her fresh
complexion, and cannot show her white teeth when she laughs, what will
remain? She has nothing to grow old on; she has no soul, she has only
plausible speeches; no good heart, no good sense; all she can do is to
scoff at others; when she is an old woman, she will be nothing but the
devil's grandmother!"

Lenz pressed his teeth violently against his lips, and at last
said:--"You have said enough; far too much, indeed! Not another word!
But I must exact one thing from you, which is, that you are not
to speak of her in such a way except to me, and even to me this
day for the last time, and to no one else; no one! I love my Annele,
and--and--you also; you may say what you will in your jealousy. I
no longer wish that you should go with me when I make my offer.
Fortunately these four walls al