host of the Eagle,
the geometer transferred his head-quarters to Muehl.

Meantime Florian also had met with reverses. He appeared to have
quarrelled with the Strasbourgers, for he no longer acted as their
agent. The old butcher also was generally at home: he had found a new
source of revenue, which was very productive. On his travels as a
drover he had made the acquaintance of some smuggler in Baden, which at
that time had not acceded to the Zollverein. He sold coffee and sugar
free of duty, and made money by the operation. The Red Tailor found his
grocery-business ruined by the interference of the secret competitor;
and yet the quarrel existing between the parents on account of their
children made it necessary to keep up a continental system and rigid
prohibitory tariff. The tailor's wife, however, hit upon a fortunate
expedient: the house of Corpse Kitty became the neutral ground for
negotiations. Corpse Kitty bought the imported goods for the account of
the legitimate trade. Thus intrigues are at work between the great
powers even when to the uninitiated they appear to be at open war.

Almost every Sunday Crescence was compelled, with cruel maltreatment,
to go with her father and meet the geometer in Muehl or at the half-way
house in Eglesthal. She was then gay and sprightly against her will;
and, after she had carried on this hypocrisy long enough, the wine
would come to her aid and really elevate her spirits,--so that the
geometer always ended with thinking that she was still really fond of
him.

But in the evening she always contrived to meet Florian; and, when she
returned home, new maltreatment awaited her. Thus poor Crescence led a
wretched life,--though, fortunately for her, she was so much inured to
deceit and untruth that she was not aware of the full extent of its
depravity.

6.
FLORIAN IN CLOVER.

Florian tried to earn some money here and there, but rarely succeeded.
He would only work at his trade or at some other agreeable occupation.
Field-labor was beneath his dignity; and he would rather have starved
than break stone on the highroad,--the usual resource of men without
capital. Like many others, he would only work at what he liked,--a
principle upon which very few men indeed ever manage to prosper. But a
time came for him to obtain some funds and a plentiful supply of that
glory which he so much craved. The bel-wether dance was ap