ed and his mind troubled; but it was no longer the same agony of
anxiety as before: he had had a little practice, and looked at things
with a calmer eye. Something would turn up--there would be some way or
other of becoming freed from these embarrassments; at most, he need only
spend two more winters in town till Lenore's education should be quite
completed, and then he would devote himself energetically to the care of
his property. Meanwhile, he resolved to talk matters over a little with
Ehrenthal, for, on the whole, he was an honorable man, that is, as far
as a tradesman could be so; and, what was more, he knew the baron's
circumstances exactly, and it was easier to discuss them with him than
with a stranger.

As usual, Ehrenthal appeared just when wanted. His diamond breast-pin
shone as usual, his obsequious compliments were as ludicrous as ever,
and his admiration of the property as boundless. The baron took him all
over the farm, and good-humoredly said, "You must give me some advice,
Ehrenthal."

Only two or three years had passed since a similar walk over this farm,
and how the times had changed! Then, Ehrenthal had to insinuate his
advice to the proud baron, and now the baron himself asked him for it.

In the lightest tone that he could assume, he went on to say, "I have
had greater expenses than usual this year. Even the promissory notes do
not yield enough, and I must therefore think of increasing my income.
What would you consider the best means of doing this?"

The usurer's eyes brightened; but he answered, with all due deference,
"The baron must be a better judge of that than I can be."

"None of your bargains, however, Ehrenthal. I shall not enter into
partnership with you again."

Ehrenthal replied, shaking his head, "There are not, indeed, many such
bargains to be made, which I could conscientiously recommend. The baron
has five-and-forty thousand dollars' worth of promissory notes. Why do
you keep them when they pay so small an interest? If you were, instead,
to buy a good mortgage at five per cent, you would pay four per cent to
the Joint-stock Company, and one per cent. would be your own; in other
words, a yearly addition of four hundred and fifty dollars. But you
might make a better thing of them than that. There are many safe
mortgages which are offered to sale for ready money, at a great profit
to the purchaser. You might, perhaps, for forty thousand dollars, or
even less, get a mortgage tha