"Your duties are nothing to me."
"Imagine that some one else is speaking my words. So that you hear them, the rest is nothing."
"I am not curious."
"It concerns your nephew Lenz."
"I knew that."
"Yet more; you may make his happiness for life."
"Every man must make that for himself."
"It would only cost you a walk to the doctor's."
"Is Lenz ill?"
"No. The state of the case is this: he ought to marry and wants to marry. Now the best wife for him is the doctor's daughter Amanda, as I am convinced, after thinking the matter over on all sides. But he lacks the necessary courage. He thinks, too,-he has not told me so, but I am sure of it,--that he is not rich enough. Now, if the uncle makes the proposal, and thereby promises--"