ter Wacht!"

With a cheerful face, upon which the traces of the struggle against
grief which he had gone through had deepened the expression of sterling
good-nature and given it a most touching character, he stepped amongst
his faithful workpeople and told them how the goodness of Heaven had
sent down the spirit of mercy and consolation upon him, and that he was
now filled with strength and courage to go on and discharge the duties
of his calling. He betook himself to the building in the middle of the
yard, which served for the storage of the tools at night, and for
keeping the plans and memoranda of work, &c. Englebrecht, the
journeymen, the apprentices, followed him in a string. On entering,
Johannes stood rooted to the spot.

His poor boy's axe, which was identified by certain distinctive marks,
had been found with half-charred handle under the ruins of the house
that had been burnt down. His companions had fastened it high up on the
wall directly opposite the door, and, in a rather rude attempt at art,
had painted round it a wreath of roses and cypress-branches; and
underneath the wreath they had placed their beloved comrade's name,
together with the year of his birth and the date of the ill-omened
night when he had met such a violent death.

"Poor Hans!"[5] exclaimed Master Wacht on perceiving this touching
monument of the true faithful spirits, whilst a flood of tears gushed
from his eyes. "Poor Hans! the last time you wielded that tool was for
the welfare of your brothers; but now you are resting in your grave,
and will never more stand by my side and use your earnest industry in
helping to forward a good piece of work."

Then Master Wacht went round the circle and gave each journeyman and
each apprentice a good honest shake of the hand, saying, "Think of
him." Then they all went back to their work, except Engelbrecht, whom
Wacht bid stay with him.

"See here, my old comrade," cried Wacht, "what extraordinary means the
Eternal Power has chosen to help me to overcome my great trouble.
During the days when I was almost heart-broken with grief for my wife
and child, whom I have lost in such a terrible way, there came into my
mind the idea of a highly artistic and complicated trussed girder,
which I had been thinking about for a long time without ever being able
to see my way to the thing clearly. Look here."

Therewith Master Wacht unrolled the drawing at which he had worked
during the past week, and Engelbre