"Indeed it is," said the Techniker. "There is a vast amount of persevering industry in this country. Most of the clockmakers here actually work fourteen hours a-day. This is highly to their credit." The girl looked at him in surprise. What on earth does he mean by always referring to the stupid clockmakers? Does he not understand, or does he not choose to understand, what I am aiming at? A pause ensued, till the Techniker again asked--"Where is your mother?" "She is in the garden gathering her crop of beans, which cannot be delayed. Come with me, and we will join her." "No; let us stay where we are. Now, sister-in-law, as I venture to call you, is not the Doctor's eldest daughter, Amanda, an excellent, accomplished girl?" "She!--Why should she not be excellent? She is old enough to be wise; and no one sees how crooked she is, for her dresses are so well made by a good milliner in the town." Annele bit her lips when she had said this. She thought--"How stupid of me to say such a thing! As he has named Amanda, no doubt it is Bertha he fancies: it must be so." Breaking off, therefore, suddenly, she continued--"But Bertha is charming----" "Yes, indeed, a most pleasing girl," interrupted the Techniker. One of Annele's knittingneedles fell under the table, and he picked it up. The young man seemed to have repented having spoken out so freely; for he now said--"The Doctor was telling me yesterday all about Pilgrim." "What is there to tell? The Doctor can make something out of nothing." "Who is Petrowitsch? They tell me you know most about him." "Not more than everyone knows. He dines here every forenoon, and pays his score regularly. He is a singular, crabbed old fellow--very rich and very hard. He was many, many years in foreign parts, and cares for no man living. There is only one thing in the world which gives him pleasure, and that is the avenue of cherry trees which line the valley towards the town. Formerly rows of pollards stood there, and Petrowitsch----" "Why is he called Petrowitsch?" "His real name is Peter; but, as he was so long in Servia, they will call him here Petrowitsch." "Go on, and tell me about the avenue of cherry trees." "Petrowitsch was in the habit of walking about with a knife in his hand, and pruning the superfluous branches off the trees; and one day the farm servant informed against him for destroying the trees. So he caused a whole avenue of new cherry trees to be planted at his own expense, and for the last six years he has pulled the unripe fruit, that the trees might not be injured by thieves, and they have made a fine growth; but he feels no interest in any man. See! there goes Lenz--his only brother's son, and he has never got from him as much as would go on the point of a needle." "So that is Lenz? A good looking youth--an agreeable countenance--just what I had imagined him to be."