can perfectly
distinguish the melody--so you must again become absorbed in your
calling, and determine not to heed the tumult around you. If you
resolve not to listen to it, you will not hear it. Be strong in your
will."

Lenz succeeded in again working in a quiet and orderly manner--there
was only wanting one little word from Annele. If she only had said:--"I
am so glad to see you once more in your old place." He thought he could
have done without this word, but yet he could not. Annele had these
very words often on her lips, but she never uttered them, for at the
swing-door her pride said again: "Why should you praise him, when he is
only doing his duty? and now what a blessing it would be if we had only
an inn; he works best when he is alone, when no one takes any notice of
him; and then I should be in the public room and he in his workshop,
and all would go well."

His work now cost Lenz double toil, and he was fairly exhausted at
night, which had never before been the case; till now, he had never
found his work knock him up; he allowed himself, however, no
recreation, he feared losing everything, and no longer to find a single
resource, if he once left his house and his workshop.

For weeks he never went into the village, and Annele was often with her
parents.

A particular occurrence at last caused him to leave his house. Pilgrim
was dangerously ill. Lenz sat up with him night after night, and it
was a great effort of friendship to do so, for Annele had said to
him:--"Your good deeds towards Pilgrim are only a cloak for your
laziness, and for your slovenly, indolent nature. You fancy that you
have played a good part in the world, whereas you have done nothing,
and succeed in nothing. What are you good for?" He breathed more
hurriedly when he heard these insulting words; he felt as if a stone
had fallen on his heart and crushed it, and the stone was not to be
moved.

"Now," said he, "there is nothing more that you can say to me, except
that I behaved badly to my mother."

"Yes! and so you did--so you did! Hoerger Toni, your cousin, who is now
in America, often said before us, that a greater hypocrite than you did
not exist, and that he was called in a thousand times to make up your
quarrels with your mother."

"You say that simply because you would like to see me in a rage again,
but you shall not succeed; it does not distress me in the least. Why do
you quote a person in America? Why not some one here? B