playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to
bonds, till the arrow pierce his liver. As if a bird should make haste
to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger. Now,
therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let
not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with
her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have
been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the
inner chambers of death."[1]

For Seraphin, however, no Solomon was at hand who might give him
counsel. Sustained by his virtue and by his faith alone, he struggled
against the temptress, not precisely of the kind referred to by
Solomon, but still a dangerous one from the ranks of progress.

Greifmann had notified him that the general assembly election was to be
held that day, that Mayor Hans Shund would certainly be returned as a
delegate, and that he intended to call for Gerlach, and go out to watch
the progress of the election.

Seraphin felt rather indifferent respecting the election; but he would
have considered himself under weighty obligation to the brother for an
explanation of the peculiar behavior of the sister at which he was so
greatly perplexed.

Carl himself he had for a while regarded as an enigma. Now, however, he
believed that he had reached a correct conclusion concerning the
brother. It appeared to him that the principal characteristic of Carl's
disposition was to treat every subject, except what strictly pertained
to business, in a spirit of levity. To the faults of others Carl was
always ready to accord a praiseworthy degree of indulgence, he never
uttered harsh words in a tone of bitterness, and when he pronounced
censure, his reproof was invariably clothed in some form of pleasantry.
In general, he behaved like a man not having time to occupy himself
seriously with any subject that did not lie within the particular
sphere of his occupation. Even their wager he managed like a matter of
business, although the landowner could not but take umbrage at the
banker's ready and natural way of dealing with men whose want of
principle he himself abominated. Greifmann seemed good-natured, minute,
and cautious in business, and in all other things exceedingly liberal
and full of levity. Such was the judgment arrived at by Seraphin,
inexperienced and little inclined to fault-finding as he was,
respecting a gentleman who stood at the su