THE ADVANTAGE OF A DEBTOR.
The house to which Spener's steps now turned was the sixth one below
Loretz's, on the same narrow street facing the stream--the long white
house with a deep porch in which young men might often be seen smoking.
Spener had given it the name of "Brethren's House," rather in
remembrance of the custom still existing in Moravian villages than
because it was strictly the abode of unmarried men who sought there a
home. It was the fact that many unmarried men did dwell there, but also
it was true that the house was the one inn of the place, and at this
time it was well filled, as Loretz had said to Leonhard when he opened
for him his hospitable gate.
At the head of the long dining-table Albert Spener took his place, and
room was made beside him for his guest; and truly it was a company of
cheerful-hearted workers, on whom no director might look without a
thrill of satisfaction.
"Stay a month with us as a probationer," said Spener suddenly, bringing
his eyes to bear upon Leonhard, and there was kindly and powerful
persuasion in them. "We can make you comfortable at least, and perhaps
you may be brought to like us. I want to have a school-house built here:
it is getting to be a necessity. You shall give us something ornamental
in spite of ourselves, if you insist upon it. And it may be no difficult
thing to compel me to put up houses on both those sites. But you are
settled already, I suppose?"
"No," answered Leonhard: "I am much more unsettled than any man of my
years ought to be. I am so unfortunate as to have two professions."
"Get into debt, and that will straighten you for a while," said Spener,
laughing heartily. "When I had fairly left my employer and set this
enterprise afoot, I gave up my sleeping habits. You will be obliged to
part with something in order to convince yourself that you are in
earnest. If you give up sleep, you will soon come to decisions."
"I owe enough," said Leonhard.
"I should not have guessed it. You sleep yet, though."
"Because I can't help it. Yes, I sleep."
"Then you will have to part with something of your free will--one of the
professions, I suppose: you can't follow two very well. It is
astonishing," Spener continued, not averse to talking about himself just
now, when he was so much occupied with thoughts which concerned himself
chiefly--"it is astonishing how different things look from the two sides
of an action. Do your best, you cannot tell before you have taken a step
how you will feel after it." On that remark he paused for a moment. Then
he went on. It was a relief to talk with this young stranger: he had
this advantage in the talk--it relieved him, and what he said, much or
little, did not affect in the least the more that was left unsaid. There
was nobody in Spenersberg to whom he could say as much as he was saying
to Marten. Any Spenersberger would immediately proceed with the clew to
the end. "My employer," he continued, "was a very cautious man, and I
believe he thought me crazy when I told him what I was going to do, and
asked him to lend me the money. Not a dollar would he lend, and I thank
him for it. Go to the bank if you can find an endorser: it is best to
feel that an institution is at your heels, and will be down on you if
you are not up to time. An avalanche is a thing anybody in his senses
will keep clear of."
"True," said Leonhard; and Spener went on eating his dinner, without
suspecting that his talk had entirely appeased his companion's hunger.
The young men spent a part of the afternoon walking about the garden
alluded to where the willows were under cultivation. A scene of thrift
and industry of which the eye could not soon tire was presented by these
products of careful labor in every stage of growth.
At length Spener came to Leonhard and told him that he should be obliged
to leave him till the next day. "I find that I must go to town this
afternoon," he said, "but you are to stay until after the festival. That
is decided. I must talk with you again, and arrange about those
buildings."
It was easy now for Leonhard to decide that he would stay till after the
festival--there was reason good why he should--and he promised to do so.
Spener was so desirous that he should stay that after he had left the
field he came back to urge it. But when he had looked again at Leonhard,
he did not urge it in the way he had intended to do: "You must think
whether it will be worth your while to stay or not. What is the
profession you spoke about that keeps you unsettled, did you say?"
"Music."
"Ah!"
"But I am a builder of course--an architect and a builder," said poor
Leonhard hurriedly.
"I like you," said Spener, drawing Leonhard's arm within his. "If you
could make up your mind to stay, we might make it your interest to do
so. As a probationer, you understand. There is a good deal to be done
here, and I may throw open the farm up there to purchasers. The only
difficulty is, that our people here might object. But it is quite clear
to me--quite clear--that a little daylight wouldn't do any of us harm if
it could be had, you know, by merely cutting away the dead underbrush
and worthless timber."
He shook hands again with Leonhard, who said, "I will think about what
you have said: I like the sound of it."
"There will be no end of work here for a skillful man of your business
if the land is sold in lots. I have had a great many applications. I
don't know of any such building-sites anywhere. My house will have to
be over there on the slope, I think--a sort of guard to the valley and
an assurance to Spenersbergers."
He now went away, looking back and nodding at Leonhard, confident that
they understood each other.
"There's a man to envy!" thought our explorer; and he felt as if a
strong staff had been wrenched out of his hand.
But the thoughts with which Albert Spener strode toward the station, a
mile away, were not enviable thoughts. For a little while he went on
thinking about Leonhard with great satisfaction, and he made many plans
based on ground-lines traced for his new acquaintance; but as he went
his way he passed first Mr. Wenck's small abode, and farther on the
house where Elise lived, and his indignation was not lessened when he
thought how trivial was the part he had allowed himself to act in the
play which might end as a tragedy if Elise should prove obstinate.