the most affectionate way that he knew how; and he was well
aware of the irresistible charm of his manner at such times. A flood of
tears gushed from Nanni's eyes, and with some difficulty all she could
get out was, "Father! father!" "Well, well!" said Wacht, and a strain
of embarrassment might have been detected in his voice, "all may yet
turn out well."

A week passed; naturally enough Jonathan had not shown himself, and the
Master had not mentioned him with a single syllable. On Sunday, when
the soup was standing smoking on the table, and the family were about
to take their seats for dinner. Master Wacht asked gaily, "And where is
our Jonathan?" Rettel, with a view to sparing poor Nanni, replied in an
undertone, "Father, don't you know then what's taken place? Wouldn't
Jonathan of course be shy of showing himself here in your presence?"
"Oh the monkey!" said Wacht, laughing; "let Christian run over at once
and fetch him."

It need hardly be said that the young advocate failed not to put in an
appearance immediately, nor that during the first moments after his
arrival a dark oppressive thunder-cloud, as it were, hovered over them
all. At length, however, Master Wacht's unconstrained good spirits,
seconded by Leberfink's droll sallies, succeeded in calling forth a
tone of conversation which, if it could not be called exactly merry,
yet managed to maintain the balance of concord pretty evenly. After
dinner Master Wacht said, "Let us get a little fresh air and stroll out
to my workyard." And they did so.

Monsieur Pickard Leberfink deliberately kept close to Rettelchen's
side, who was a pattern of friendliness towards him, since the polite
decorator had exhausted himself in praising her dishes, and had
confessed that never so long as he had lived, not even when dining with
the ecclesiastics in Banz,[16] had he enjoyed a more delicious meal. As
Master Wacht now hurried on at a quick pace right across the middle of
the workyard, with a large bundle of keys in his hand, the young lawyer
was unintentionally brought close to Nanni. But all that the lovers
ventured upon were stolen sighs and low soft-breathed love-plaints.

Master Wacht came to a halt in front of a fine newly-made door, which
had been constructed in the wall parting his workyard from the
merchant's garden. He unlocked the door and stepped in, inviting his
family to follow him. They, none of them, knew exactly what to make of
the old gentleman, except Herr