othing; but I have no other choice. Make the best excuse for
me that your good nature and your conscience will let you."

"Be a man!" said Edward, giving him his hand and holding him fast:
"you may earn a maintenance here, and may lay the foundations of your
fortune hereafter: do not a second time thus wantonly trifle away your
master's confidence and mine. We took you in, when you came to us
without a character, without any recommendation, almost without a
name: Herr Balthasar departed for your sake from all his rules, which
till then had always been inviolable; I have in a manner pledged
myself for you: are you resolved to reward our confidence in this way,
and to run thus rashly into suspicion? And can you hope that a month
hence or later you will be received among us again?"

The young man was much distrest, but tore himself forcibly away, and
cried: "I know it too well, that I am closing this home, in which
everything has gone so well with me, in which I have felt so happy,
for ever against me. Misery and want await me, and the bitterest
punishments for the thoughtlessness of my youth. But who can avoid his
destiny? When a chariot is rushing headlong down a precipice, no human
strength can arrest it."

"But if you have any sense of honour," answered Edward, "if you would
not leave us all at a loss what to make of you, you ought to stay now
at all events; for I am quite unable to conceive what power can be
driving you away from us thus suddenly. You know, the most expensive
and valuable cloths in our magazine have been purloined day after day;
and though this has been going on so long we have not been able to get
any trace of the offender."

"I must put up even this suspicion," said William with a quick blush.
"There is no saving me now, and I have nothing more to lose: nor do I
deserve the good opinion of any honest man, be he even the meanest of
my brethren."

After these mysterious words the young man hurried away, without even
looking round again. Edward followed him with his eyes, and observed
how he bent his steps hastily toward the little town, ran almost at
full speed through the streets, and turned into a footpath on the
other side, to climb up a steep rock. He there lost sight of him in
the mountain solitude.

The mist meanwhile had somewhat broken, and the little dells with
their trees and bushes were seen rising out of it, like green ilands,
illumined by the morning sun, with ever and anon a house