nvitation to join him at his table, and
drink another bottle of beer from the rock along with him. He began the
conversation by saying that for a long time he had been wanting to call
upon Master Wacht at his own house, since he had two things he wished
to talk to him about, one of which was almost making his heart burst.
Wacht made answer, he thought Leberfink knew him, and must be aware
that anybody who had anything to say to him, no matter what it was,
might speak out his thoughts frankly. Leberfink now imparted to the
Master in confidence that the wine-dealer who owned the beautiful
garden, with the massive pavilion, which lay between their two
properties, had privately offered to sell it to him. He thought he
recollected having heard Wacht once express a wish how very much he
should like to own this garden; if now the opportunity was come to
satisfy this wish, he (Leberfink) offered his services as negotiator,
and expressed his willingness to settle everything for him.

It was a fact that Master Wacht had for some time entertained a desire
to enlarge his property by the addition of a good garden, and
especially so since Nanni was always longing for the beautiful shrubs
and trees which gave out such a luxurious abundance of sweet scents in
this very garden. Moreover, it seemed to him now as if Fortune were
graciously smiling upon him, and just at the time when poor Nanni had
experienced such bitter trouble, an opportunity for affording her
pleasure should present itself so unexpectedly. The Master at once
settled all the needful particulars with the obliging decorator, who
promised that on the following Sunday Wacht should be able to stroll
through the garden as its owner. "Come now," cried Master Wacht, "come
now, friend Leberfink, out with it--what is it that is making your
heart burst?"

Then Herr Pickard Leberfink fell to sighing in the most pitiable
manner; and he pulled the most extraordinary faces, and ran on with
such a string of gibberish that nobody could make either head or tail
of it. Master Wacht, however, knew what to make of it, for he shook his
head, saying, "Ah! that may be contrived;" and he smiled to himself at
the wonderful sympathy of their related spirits.

This meeting with Leberfink had certainly done Master Wacht good; he
believed he had conceived a plan by virtue of which he should manage
not only to stand against, but even to overcome, the severest and most
terrible misfortune which, ac