econd accompanied Dr. Fritz. Frau Weidmann could not forbear
letting Eric know why her husband was so taciturn; that he devoted
himself too much to other people, and then he came home all fagged out.
Who knows whether he would not have taken his violin and played for the
people, if Eric had not come?

Weidmann declared that he had done this, and was not at all ashamed of
it.

Eric replied that it was exceedingly painful to see how often it was
that one was almost ashamed of manifesting any good feeling in the
world, because so many merely pretended to possess it, and only used it
as a means of acquiring popularity.

Weidmann made mention of Eric's office in the House of Correction,
adding that the man who played the key-bugle had been a convict
formerly, and had conducted himself well for years.

Frau Weidmann, who was of the opinion that talking was too much of an
exertion for her husband at present, now resumed the thread of
conversation, and asked Eric whether it was a settled matter that
Pranken was to marry the rich Sonnenkamp's daughter.

Eric could not keep saying yes, and Frau Weidmann was exceedingly
vexed.

"It always puts me out," she said, "when a healthy and wealthy girl of
the middle class marries a nobleman; our good, solid, industrial
acquisitions are alienated. I do not wish to say that the noble is not
our friend; but he does not belong to us, he considers himself
something different from us, and the fruit of our toil goes to him. A
girl of the middle class, who buys a title by marriage, betrays her
ancestors, and betrays us in her posterity."

Frau Weidmann spoke so excitedly and angrily, that her husband tried in
vain to pacify her; he took, however, the wrong means, informing her
that Herr Sonnenkamp himself wanted to receive a title.

Eric was startled to hear this matter, which had been regarded as a
great secret, here spoken of so openly.

Frau Weidmann had a special dislike towards Pranken; she disliked him
because he induced so many people to place good breeding, as it was
termed, above plain uprightness. You could hear hundreds of persons,
women as well as men, speak well of him in spite of his vicious life,
because he was so well bred, as they called it.

"Suppose Manna had come here?" thought Eric to himself.

Weidmann turned to Eric with the explanation that his wife was pretty
severe against Pranken, as two years ago, about the time that Eric had
taken the position at Sonnenk