rds me as a wild beast, and I am therefore spared this piece of
servitude," said Hans; and he laughed his noiseless uncouth laugh as he
thought of his immunity.

"Is she handsome?" asked I.

"How can she be handsome when she is so overbearing?" said he. "Is not
beauty gentleness, mildness, softness? How can it agree with eyes that
flash disdain, and a mouth that seems to curl with insolence? The old
proverb says, 'Schoenheit ist Sanftheit;' and that's why Our Lady is
always so lovely."

Hanserl was a devout Catholic; and not impossibly this sentiment made
his judgment of the young Jewess all the more severe. Of Herr Oppovich
himself he would say little. Perhaps he deemed it was not loyal to
discuss him whose bread he ate; perhaps he had not sufficient experience
of me to trust me with his opinion; at all events, he went no further
than an admission that he was wise and keen in business,--one who made
few mistakes himself, nor forgave them easily in another.

"Never do more than he tells you to do, younker," said Hans to me one
day; "and he 'll trust you, if you do that well." And this was not the
least valuable hint he gave me.

Hans had a great deal of small worldly wisdom, the fruit rather of a
long experience than of any remarkable gift of observation. As he said
himself, it took him four years to learn the business of the yard; and
as I acquired the knowledge in about a week, he regarded me as a perfect
genius.

We soon became fast and firm friends. The way in which I had surrendered
myself to his guidance--giving him up the management of my money, and
actually submitting to his authority as though I were his son--had
won upon the old man immensely; while I, on my side,--friendless and
companionless, save with himself,--drew close to the only one who seemed
to take an interest in me. At first,--I must own it,--as we wended our
way at noon towards the little eating-house where we dined, and I saw
the friends with whom Hans exchanged greetings, and felt the class and
condition he belonged to reflected in the coarse looks and coarser ways
of his associates, I was ashamed to think to what I had fallen. I
had, indeed, no respect nor any liking for the young fellows of the
counting-house. They were intensely, offensively vulgar; but they had
the outward semblance, the dress, and the gait of their betters, and
they were privileged by appearance to stroll into a _cafe_ and sit
down, from which I and my companion woul