snow white when she got to
heaven--by saying: "Annele, he is certainly not covetous; he never
asked a question about your marriage portion, never gave a hint on the
subject; and he is far from stupid, believe me. He is, in fact, rather
too shrewd. Last night a travelling jeweller from Pforzheim came here
with a large, well filled box. I saw at once that Lenz had desired him
to come. He will choose for you what takes his fancy most." The mother
knew that Annele did not believe this invention of hers, and Annele
knew that her mother did not consider her such a fool as to credit such
a fable. They both affected, however, to believe that they were
mutually truthful, and the result was very happy.

Lenz was absent for some little time. He was standing beside Ernestine
on the dark steps of the cellar. Presently he returned, and, exactly as
her mother had predicted, he brought Annele a gold chain from the
pedlar, who was in the house. To allow her to choose for herself--to
say, "My darling, what do you like best?"--never occurred to him, in
spite of many hints; so he did not receive many thanks for his dilatory
present.

Annele, however, was soon as lively and gay as was expected. A
landlord's daughter must always be merry and good-humoured, and
anything that occurs in the back parlour of the family, does not extend
to the public room.

If there had been numbers of carriages yesterday, there was a vast
number more to-day, for all the innkeepers far and near arrived, with
ringing bells round the necks of their handsome well fed horses. On
such an occasion, it is but proper that people should show who they
are, and what they have. The various landlords, and their wives and
daughters, went about as proud of their possessions, as if they had
brought their houses on their backs. Every glance seemed to say, "At
home I have everything just the same, and, though I may not be as rich
as the Landlord of the 'Golden Lion,' still I have every reason to be
satisfied."

There were fine greetings, and friendly speeches, and thanks
innumerable for handsome presents!--"Oh! that is really too much! No!
this is far too handsome! No one but the Landlady of the 'Bear' would
ever have thought of such a thing!" And then--"No one has so much taste
as the Landlady of the 'Eagle.'--And the Landlady of the 'Angel'--I do
hope we may one day act as handsomely, though we can scarcely hope to
equal this!" It was truly marvellous, to hear the many hundr