nferior men of
business, that your father is in grave danger of losing severely. I now
request that you will go with me to the man; perhaps we shall succeed in
eliciting more from him. He is the very Jew you saw with me yesterday."

The lieutenant looked down in deep dejection, and, without saying a
word, took up his cap and accompanied Anton to the inn at which Tinkeles
was staying.

"It will be better that you should ask for him," said Anton on the way.
So the officer entered and asked every servant that he met, and then the
landlord. Schmeie had left in the middle of the previous day. They
hurried from the inn to the government offices, and there found that
Tinkeles had taken out his passport for the Turkish frontier. His
departure made his warning appear the more important. The longer they
discussed the matter, the more excited the lieutenant became, and the
less he knew what to do. At last he broke out: "My father is perhaps now
distressed for money, and how am I to tell him of my debt? It is a
dreadful case. Wohlfart, you are a good fellow for lending me the money,
though this wandering Jew's report was in your head. You must be still
more accommodating, and lend me the sum for a longer time."

"Until you yourself express a wish to repay it."

"That is kind," cried the lieutenant; "and now do one thing more: write
to my father. You know best what this confounded man has told you, and
it would be a great bore to me to have to tell a thing of the kind to
papa."

"But your father may well consider the interference of a stranger
unwarrantable impertinence," rejoined Anton, oppressed by the idea of
having to write to Lenore's father.

"My father already knows you," said Eugene, persuasively; "I remember my
sister talking to me about you. Just say that I entreated you to write.
It would really be better that you should do so."

Anton consented. He sat down at once, and informed the baron of the
warning given by the wool-dealer. And thus he, while far away, came
into new relations with the family of the baron, which were destined to
have important consequences for him and them alike.

CHAPTER XXII.

Happy the foot that can roam over a wide expanse of property--happy the
head which knows how to subject the forces of ever-fresh nature to an
intelligent human will. All that makes man strong, healthy, worthy, is
given in portion to the agriculturist: his life is a ceaseless battle
and a ceaseless victory.