g about
the house."

"And if not--what then?"

"Something must be going wrong somewhere. So you see it can't be Miss
Elise, according to my judgment."

Spener laughed when this conclusion was reached.

"Come here again within a month and see if she can talk and sing,"
said he with eyes flashing. "Perhaps you have found that it is as easy
to frighten a bugbear out of the way as to be frightened by one. I
never found, sir, that I couldn't put a stumbling-block out of my
path. We have one little man here who is going to prove himself a
nuisance, I'm afraid. He is a good little fellow, too. I always liked
him until he undertook to manage my affairs. I don't propose to give
up the reins yet a while, and until I do, you see, he has no chance.
I am sorry about it, for I considered him quite like a friend; but a
friend, sir, with a flaw in him is worse than an enemy. I know where
to find my enemies, but I can't keep track of a man who pretends to be
a friend and serves me ill. But pshaw! let me see what you are doing."

Leonhard was glad when the man ceased from discoursing on
friendship--a favorite theme among Spenersbergers, he began to
think--and glad to break away from his work, for he held his pencil
less firmly than he should have done.

Spener studied the portion completed, and seemed surprised as well as
pleased. "You know your business," said he. "Be so good as to finish
the design."

Then returning the book to Leonhard, he looked at his watch. "It is
time I went to dinner," he said. "Come with me. Loretz knows you are
with me, and will expect you to be my guest to-day." So they walked
across the field, but did not descend by the path along which they had
ascended. They went farther to the east, and Spener led the way down
the rough hillside until he came to a point whence the descent was
less steep and difficult. There he paused. A beautiful view was spread
before them. Little Spenersberg lay on the slope opposite: between ran
the stream, which widened farther toward the east and narrowed toward
the west, where it emptied into the river. Eastward the valley also
widened, and there the willows grew, and looked like a great garden,
beautiful in every shade of green.

"I should not have the river from this point," said Spener, "but I
should have a great deal more, and be nearer the people: I do not
think it would be the thing to appear even to separate myself from
them. I have done a great deal not so agreeabl