in every
man's breast to withstand the misery that threatens him, so long as the
contrary is not evidently decreed in the Eternal counsels. Let us see
now what sort of an example he will give us."

They were not a little astonished when, although the master himself was
not seen in the workshop, yet his journeymen's activity continued
without interruption, so that work never stood still for a single
moment, but went on just as if the master had not experienced any
trouble.

With steadfast courage and firm step, and with his face shining with
all the consolation and all the hope that sprang from his belief--the
true religion rooted deep down in his breast--he had followed the
corpses of his wife and son; and on the noon of the same day after the
funeral, which had taken place in the morning, he said to Engelbrecht,
"Engelbrecht, it is now necessary for me to be alone with my grief,
which is almost breaking my heart, in order that I may become
acquainted with it and strengthen myself against it. You, brother, my
honest, industrious foreman, will know what to do for a week; for that
space I am going to shut myself up in my own chamber."

And indeed for a whole week Master Wacht never left his room. The maid
frequently brought down his food again untouched; and they often heard
in the passage his low, sad cry, cutting them to the quick, "O my wife!
O my Johannes!"

Many of Wacht's acquaintances were of opinion that he ought not by any
means to be left in this solitary state; by brooding constantly over
his grief his mind might become unsettled Engelbrecht, however, met
them with the reply, "Let him alone; you don't know my Johannes. Since
Providence, in its inscrutable purposes, has sent him this hard trial,
it has also given him strength to overcome it, and all earthly
consolation would only outrage his feelings. I know in what manner he
is working his way out of his deep grief." These last words Engelbrecht
uttered with a well-nigh cunning look upon his face; but he would not
give any further information as to what he meant. Wacht's acquaintances
had to content themselves, and leave the unfortunate man in peace.

A week was passed, and early the next morning, which was a bright
summer morning, at five o'clock Master Wacht came out unexpectedly into
the workyard amongst his journeymen, who were all hard at work. Their
axes and saws stopped, whilst they greeted him with a half-sorrowful
cry, "Master Wacht! Our good Mas