anything ever
comes of the affair, must we pay court to that old woman? or if we
don't, have her crying out about ingratitude! And what's the great
hurry after all?"

"Don't pretend to know nothing. It is good and necessary to dispose of
you."

"I am not pretending, and I do know nothing; formerly you would not
hear of Lenz; why do you want him now?"

The mother looked straight in Annele's face; did the forward minx
really guess nothing? she only said:--"Now it is very different, Lenz
is alone, and has a well stocked house. I could not have given you over
to a mother-in-law." The Landlady left the room, and thought;--"If you
play false with me, I will play false with you, too."

At the Morgenhalde, Franzl went about in a perpetual giggle, while with
smiling lips she disparaged every girl in the neighbourhood, especially
the Doctor's daughters and Kathrine; she did not name Annele at all,
but gave dark mysterious hints about mountains of fine linen, and
people well to do in the world. Lenz almost thought that solitude was
beginning to turn the old woman's brain; she, however, did her work
steadily, and was more cheerful than ever, and he was himself in much
better spirits at his own occupation, and was a long time without once
going near the village.

CHAPTER XV.
YOUNG HEARTS.--A BETROTHAL.

Lenz stayed at home and worked incessantly. By the intervention of the
balancemaker in Kunslingen, he had the good fortune to dispose of a
smaller musical clock, that he had nearly finished. He worked with
great eagerness at its completion, and was busy preparing for the new
one that the Landlord of the "Lion" had as good as bespoken; he was so
happy thus constantly occupied that he often thought--"I don't care to
marry, and I cannot. How can I find room for thoughts of wife or
children, when my heart and head are so full of my business?"

Pilgrim had resumed his old plans and designs for new models for
clocks, and worked at them incessantly in the evening hours, for he
could not spend his regular work hours in this manner. Thus the friends
saw each other less frequently, and Lenz now no longer came on the
evenings when the Choral Society practised singing.

Faller's wedding, however, brought Lenz once more into the village. His
worthy companion never rested, till the founder of his happiness
promised to go to church with him, in spite of his mourning.

The weddi