.
Schwefel that the house in Vienna has countermanded its order. Nor is
any villa to be constructed. I shall pay Sand for his drawings, and
this will be the end of the project. The matter of the bills of
exchange is not a hoax, and I am still free to proceed against Erdblatt
in the manner required by the interests of my business."

Seraphin stood before the ingenuous banker, and looked at him aghast.

"It is true," said Greifmann gaily, "I have laid out fifteen hundred
florins, but I have done so against one hundred per cent.; for they are
to secure me victory in our wager."

"Your professional routine is truly admirable," said Gerlach.

"Not exactly that, but practical, and not at all sentimental, my
friend."

"I shall take a walk through the garden to get over my astonishment,"
concluded Gerlach; and he walked away from the astute man of money.

CHAPTER III.

SERAPHIN AND LOUISE.

Sombre spirits flitted about the head of the young man with the
blooming cheeks and light eyes. He was unable to rid himself of a
feeling of depression; for he had taken a step into the domain of
progress, and had there witnessed things which, like slimy reptiles,
drew a cold trail over his warm heart. Trained up on Christian
principles, schooled by enlightened professors of the faith, and
watched over with affectionate vigilance by a pious mother, Seraphin
had had no conception of the state of modern society. For this reason,
both Greifmann _Senior_ and Gerlach _Senior_ committed a blunder in
wishing to unite by marriage three millions of florins, the owners of
which not merely differed, but were the direct opposites of each other
in disposition and education.

Louise belonged to the class of emancipated females who have in vain
attempted to enhance the worth of noble womanhood by impressing on
their own sex the sterner type of the masculine gender. In Louise's
opinion, the beauty of woman does not consist in graceful gentleness,
amiable concession and purity, but in proudly overstepping the bounds
set for woman by the innate modesty of her sex. The beautiful young
lady had no idea of the repulsiveness of a woman who strives to make a
man of herself, but she was sure that the cause and origin of woman's
degradation is religion. For it was to Eve that God had said: "Thou
shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall have dominion over
thee." Louise considered this