the greatest
affront he could possibly have received. "Before I'd butcher stolen
cattle in secret," said he, "I'd cut your throat and mine both."

[Illustration: She took her necklace of garnets, with the brooch, from
her neck and handed them to him.]

"Oh, you soft-head," said Schlunkel, adroitly snatching Florian's knife
out of his pocket, "I'll never let you get out of this room alive
unless you slaughter these wethers, or pay me my two dollars."

"I'll see you!" Florian had him by the throat, and dragged at the knife
with all his might. They both struggled fiercely, without any success
on either side; but, suddenly hearing a noise, Florian released his
hold and jumped out of the window.

He went to Crescence sorrowfully and told her all.

Without saying a word, she took her necklace of garnets, with the
brooch, from her neck, drew her silver ring from her finger, and handed
them to him.

"What's that for?" asked Florian.

"To pawn or sell and pay the wretch with."

Florian embraced and kissed her, saying, "Do you do it; there's a good
girl: you shall have 'em back, depend upon it."

Crescence did as requested, and brought him his knife. There was no
blood upon it: he rejoiced greatly to know that his treasure had not
been abused.

10.
FLORIAN DISDAINS THE HELP WHICH IS OFFERED HIM.

"Crescence," said Florian, one day, "this sort of thing must come to an
end. I can't go abroad any more, because of you, and because it's a
matter of honor for me to get through without it. What do you say to
seeing the parson? If we can get a few hundred florins out of him we
can get married."

"I thought you didn't want to have any thing to do with him."

"What must be must," replied Florian. "Will you give me a letter to
him, and get your mother to sign it?"

"Just as you please: you know best. I'll do exactly as you wish me to."

Next day Florian was under way. His thoughts were gloomy when he
reflected upon where he was going; but the exercise soon improved his
spirits. For many weeks he had scarcely been outside of the village.
All his thoughts had been absorbed by paltry troubles and circumscribed
efforts: now he once more found a larger standard to measure things by,
and said to himself, "Why can't we live somewhere else? The Nordstetten
grass can grow without us. I can be happy with my Crescence, even
though George the blacksmith and the host of the Eagle know