, but
leave all to the future. What _it_ brings is the will of God, and to
that everybody must bow humbly and gratefully."

Meanwhile it was becoming extremely lively in Master Martin's workshop.
In order to execute all his orders he had engaged with ordinary
labourers and taken in some apprentices, and they all hammered and
knocked till the din could be heard far and wide. Reinhold had finished
his calculations and measurements for the great cask that was to be
built for the Bishop of Bamberg, whilst Frederick and Conrad had set it
up so cleverly that Master Martin's heart laughed in his body, and he
cried again and again, "Now that I call a grand piece of work; that'll
be the best little cask I've ever made--except my masterpiece." Now the
three apprentices stood driving the hoops on to the fitted staves, and
the whole place rang again with the din of their mallets. Old Valentine
was busy plying his draw-knife, and Dame Martha, her two youngest on
her knee, sat just behind Conrad, whilst the other wideawake little
rascals were shouting and making a noise, tumbling the hoops about, and
chasing each other. In fact, there was so much hubbub and so much
vigorous hard work going on that hardly anybody noticed old Herr
Johannes Holzschuer as he stepped into the shop. Master Martin went to
meet him, and politely inquired what he desired. "Why, in the first
place," said Holzschuer, "I want to have a look at my dear Frederick
again, who is working away so lustily yonder. And then, goodman Master
Martin, I want a stout cask for my wine-cellar, which I will ask you to
make for me. Why look you, that cask they are now setting up there is
exactly the sort of thing I want; you can let me have that, you've only
got to name the price." Reinhold, who had grown tired and had been
resting a few minutes down in the shop, and was now preparing to ascend
the scaffolding again, heard Holzschuer's words and said, turning his
head towards the old gentleman, "Marry, my friend Herr Holzschuer, you
need not set your heart upon this cask; we are making it for his
Lordship the Bishop of Bamberg." Master Martin, his arms folded on his
back, his left foot planted forward, his head thrown back in his neck,
blinked at the cask and said proudly, "My dear master, you might have
seen from the carefully selected wood and the great pains taken in the
work that a masterpiece like that was meant for a prince's[34] cellar.
My journeyman Reinhold has said the