"So," said Lenz, "when I came out of church I saw her standing with some one. She will make a good farmer's wife; I wish her all happiness. Tell me, Annele, were you in church at the wedding today?"
"Yes, and I saw you there: your conduct to Faller must help you on the road to heaven."
"I should win it easily in that case. The Pastor did preach admirably; everyone present might profit by it, married and single. The Holy Scriptures are like music,—out of the hundreds and hundreds who listen, not one deprives his neighbour of any share of it—each one has it entire for himself."
"And I can tell you that I like to listen to you almost better than to our Pastor; with you everything seems to have a firm and clear foundation. I can't quite explain what I mean:—I often think it is a sad pity that you are only a clockmaker."
"Only a clockmaker! I rejoice at being one, for it is a fine calling. I could preach a sermon on that text. The whole world is a clock, wound up by God from all Eternity. There the stars revolve, and run their appointed course. Pilgrim once said that there was no clock in Paradise; certainly not, but from the hour when men were forced to work, they were obliged to divide the time; and just imagine what it would be to us if we no longer knew the different hours; we should be like children or lunatics."
"You can expound everything so well; I had never thought of that before."
This remark inspired Lenz with fresh eloquence.
"I am devoted to clockmaking; and if I cannot succeed with my musical timepieces, I can at least make the common clocks of the Black Forest: a sure mode of getting money. I can always have recourse to that. I earn much more by the musical instruments, but I cannot trust to them for a livelihood, for I can only make them when they are bespoke, and I might some fine day discover that I had nothing, for lovers of music are not to be met with every day,—and when I do leave my common clocks for my musical ones, I feel so happy that——"
"Your heart jumps for joy,—you feel as if a blessing rested on your labours."
"Oh! Annele, how clever and loveable you are! If I only knew——"