hough his jaw showed strength and
decision, the weak mouth and large protuberant lips indicated that his
senses ruled what he himself styled 'the fair habitation of an immortal
soul.' His eyes were small, and seemed to express inordinate greed, when
they were not, as was usually the case, lifted to the sky in pious
self-assurance, yet with feigned humility. Pastor Mueller was at once
unctuous and insolent, a combination of contending characteristics which
is often the possession of those who patronise God Almighty with their
approval, and use His Name as a convenient adjunct in their homilies
against all things human. His health, he was wont to declare, had
suffered from his many vigils, and consequently he found himself forced
to fortify his body with much nourishment, and with copious draughts of
any wine which he could obtain. In spite of this, he dominated his
congregation partly by reason of a certain eloquence which was at his
command in the pulpit when dealing with theological questions, in which,
indeed, he was deeply learned. He convinced by his uncompromising
attitude towards the sinful members of his parish. In fact, the Guestrow
citizens regarded him as a strong Christian, and rejoiced in his fervid
biblical language. Many of the spinsters of his flock would gladly have
become Frau Mueller, but he paid no heed to their blandishments, and
openly avowed his intention of making Wilhelmine the mistress of the
Pfarrhaus, though she appeared strangely insensible to the glory of this
prospect. In the first place, with the arrogance of youth, she regarded
the pastor's forty years as old age, and treated his ponderous attempts
at gallantry with levity. However, when she met him in the snow that
morning she was cold and hungry, and the prospect of probable warmth at
his fireside, with a substantial meal provided, proved alluring; so it
was with an unusually gracious manner that she accepted his offer of
shelter. A few steps brought them to the door of his abode, and they
passed into the small, dark corridor which led to his study. Here the
stove sent forth a pleasant heat, and it was with a welcome sensation of
returning warmth that Wilhelmine sank down in the large chair which the
pastor drew up for her close to the stove. She had flung off her
snow-covered cloak, and she sat there in her thin morning blouse, open at
the neck and showing the contour of her white throat. Mueller begged her
to remove her soaking shoes, a