ing, the elder gentleman
approached young Traugott, who was standing silent with shame, and said
to him, "You don't seem to be exactly in your place, my good sir. It
would never have come into a true merchant's head to make drawings
instead of writing a business letter as he ought" Traugott could not
help feeling that this reproach was only too well founded. Much
embarrassed, he replied, "By my soul, this hand has already written
many admirable letters of advice; it is only, occasionally that such
confoundedly odd ideas come into my mind." "But, my good sir,"
continued the stranger smiling, "these are not confoundedly odd ideas
at all. I can really hardly believe that all your business letters
taken together have been so admirable as these sketches, outlined
so neatly and boldly and firmly. There is, I am sure, true genius
in them." With these words the stranger took out of Traugott's hand
the letter--or rather what was begun as a letter but had ended in
sketches--carefully folded it together, and put it in his pocket. This
awakened in Traugott's mind the firm conviction that he had done
something far more excellent than write a business letter. A strange
spirit took possession of him; so that, when Herr Elias Roos, who had
now finished writing, addressed him in an angry tone, "Your childish
folly might have cost me ten thousand marks," he replied louder and
with more decision than was his habit, "Will your worship please not to
behave in such an extraordinary way, else I will never write you
another letter of advice so long as I live, and we will separate." Herr
Elias pushed his wig right with both hands and stammered, as he stared
hard at Traugott, "My estimable colleague, my dear, dear son, what
proud words you are using!" The old gentleman again interposed, and a
few words sufficed to restore perfect peace; and so they all went to
Herr Elias's house to dinner, for he had invited the strangers home
with him. Fair Christina received them in holiday attire, all clean and
prim and proper; and soon she was wielding the excessively heavy silver
soup-ladle with a practised hand.

Whilst these five persons are sitting at table, I could, gracious
reader, bring them pictorially before your eyes; but I shall only
manage to give a few general outlines, and those certainly worse than
the sketches which Traugott had the audacity to scribble in the
inauspicious letter; for the meal will soon be over; and besides, I am
urged by an