“No difference at all, do you mean?  Do you mean they are alike?  They are not alike.”

“Not so alike that I have seen anything like either of them.”

“Ah! neither have I. For that reason I shall marry one of them, while the other I would not marry—­no, not if she were the only woman on the continent.”

“You are a fortunate man,” said Leonhard.

“I intend to prove that.  Nothing more is necessary than the girl’s consent—­is there?—­if you have made up your mind that you must have her.”

“I should think you might say that, sir.”

“But you don’t hazard an opinion as to which, sir.”

“Not I.”

“Why not?”

“It might be Miss Elise, if—­”

“If what?”

“I am not accustomed to see young ladies in their homes.  I have only fancied sometimes what a pretty girl might be in her father’s house.”

“Well, sir?” said Spener impatiently.

“A young lady like Miss Elise would have a great deal to say, I should suppose.”

“Is she dumb?  I thought she could talk.  I should have said so.”

“I should have guessed, too, that she would always be singing about the house.”

“And if not—­what then?”

“Something must be going wrong somewhere.  So you see it can’t be Miss Elise, according to my judgment.”

Spener laughed when this conclusion was reached.

“Come here again within a month and see if she can talk and sing,” said he with eyes flashing.  “Perhaps you have found that it is as easy to frighten a bugbear out of the way as to be frightened by one.  I never found, sir, that I couldn’t put a stumbling-block out of my path.  We have one little man here who is going to prove himself a nuisance, I’m afraid.  He is a good little fellow, too.  I always liked him until he undertook to manage my affairs.  I don’t propose to give up the reins yet a while, and until I do, you see, he has no chance.  I am sorry about it, for I considered him quite like a friend; but a friend, sir, with a flaw in him is worse than an enemy.  I know where to find my enemies, but I can’t keep track of a man who pretends to be a friend and serves me ill.  But pshaw! let me see what you are doing.”

Leonhard was glad when the man ceased from discoursing on friendship—­a favorite theme among Spenersbergers, he began to think—­and glad to break away from his work, for he held his pencil less firmly than he should have done.

Spener studied the portion completed, and seemed surprised as well as pleased.  “You know your business,” said he.  “Be so good as to finish the design.”