"Because you are so tender with yourself. Show yourself now a man. Do not visit this upon your wife. Deal gently with her; her sorrow is greater than yours."
"You think so?"
"Yes. It will be hard for proud Annele of the Lion to find that a greeting from her is no longer the honor it used to be."
"She is not Annele of the Lion now; she is my wife."
"She is, before God and man. It was your own choice; I warned you."
Lenz hurried to the doctor's, who, as we have said, also filled the office of mayor; he was not at home. Thorns beset him on every side. His friends were not to be found, and his enemies let out all their secret venom against him, choosing his moment of helplessness to mock and torture him. He hastened up the hill again, past his house and into the wood beyond, where he ordered the wood-cutters to stop their work.
"Will you pay us our day's wages?"
"Yes."
"All right." They shouldered their axes and went home.
In the house Lenz found Annele embracing the children, and crying: "O my poor children! You will have to beg your bread, poor little ones!"