u have anything particular to say to your mother, let me know;
for, please God, I shall soon go to her. I will give your message
faithfully, whatever it may be. You may rely on me."

Franzl kept fast hold of Lenz's hand repeating:--

"There was something I had to say to you; I have it on the tip of my
tongue, but I can't remember it, but I am sure to recall it the moment
you are fairly gone. I was to remind you of something--you don't know
what it could be?"

Lenz could make no guess, and at last went away quite reluctantly. He
turned into an alehouse on his way, and was greeted by a shout
of--"Hurrah! capital! it is famous to see you here!"

It was Proebler who welcomed him so boisterously; he was sitting at a
table with two companions, and a large measure of wine before them.
Proebler was the spokesman here, and wished to rise to receive Lenz, but
his feet evidently considered it better that he should sit still, and
so he called out in a loud voice:--

"Come and sit down here, Lenz, and let the world outside become
bankrupt, and turn into a mass of snow; it's not worth plaguing one's
self about it. Here let us sit till the last day. I want nothing more,
I care for nothing more, and when I have nothing more, I will sell the
coat off my back and spend the money in good liquor, and then go out
and lie down in the snow, and so save all funeral expenses. Look here,
my friends! You have in this man an example of the shabbiness of the
world. If a man is better conducted than others, he is sure to be
ruined. Drink away, Lenz! See! this was once the best and most honest
man in the world, and yet, how has it used him? His own father-in-law
plundered him, fleecing him in the most shameless way, and causing his
very house to be exposed and defenceless in the depth of winter. Oh!
Lenz, once on a time I was honest too, but I don't even try to be so
now--I am done with it for ever."

Lenz's heart sunk within him, at hearing himself quoted as the most
striking example of a man completely ruined; he little thought ever to
have won such a reputation as that. He strove to persuade Proebler
that it was no use first to yield to evil courses, and then to
exclaim:--"See, world, what you have made me! Don't you repent it?" He
endeavoured to point out to Proebler, that no one has any right to
expect the world to do for you, what you ought to do for yourself. A
man must preserve his self respect was the idea uppermost in Lenz at
this mo