a liar as she had said; else why did he run away instead of going with him to meet her?  No, he wouldn’t be taken in by that fellow, any longer.  As they walked along she had asked him all sorts of questions about himself; what his business was, and how he succeeded in it and so on.  He had not been able to answer very satisfactorily about his business, for since Confirmation, three years before, he had only been waiting for something to turn up.  He had had nothing to do except to ring the bell at eleven o’clock, and then stand in the door-way of his house until it was time to ring it again at four.  Then towards evening he always went to the Rehbock to hear the news.  All this appeared in a new light before his eyes, now that Veronica had inquired about his occupation.  Then she had encouraged him so sympathetically to try to get something to do, and promised to be of service to him if she could.  It was exactly as if she had an especial interest in his welfare.  Why did she concern herself about him?  Suddenly a light broke through his darkness.

“Dietrich is gone, and is not likely to come back,” he said to himself, “she detests Jost; and women always do the very thing you least expect them to; I’ve heard that a hundred times.  She is after me!  Good heavens!” he called out in his surprise as this idea seized him.  “A fellow must spruce up!  I will take the first step this very day.”

The idea which had seized Blasi’s mind that he was to take Dietrich’s place with Veronica, suggested a farther plan.  He decided immediately to become a saddler too, and before he went into his own house, he turned back and sought Gertrude’s garden.

Gertrude’s workman was walking up and down, for recreation; for he never went to the tavern.  Blasi went to him and opened his mind; he wanted to be a saddler, and to learn the trade from him.

The man was quite willing; he bethought himself that it would be rather an agreeable change to have a young fellow to talk to, instead of merely sitting all day by the side of the silent widow.  He said he would speak to his employer, and Blasi could come on the morrow.  He was sure she would agree, for she generally took his opinion about the business.

“You see, Blasi,” said he pompously, “if I were not there to look after things, they would all go to ruin.  In fact there are only two ways to save this business; either Dietrich must come back and quickly too, and take hold of the business better than he ever did before, or else it must fall into my hands entirely, and I will take all the risks and all the profits.”

“There may be yet a third way; who knows?” said Blasi, significantly, and he winked so mysteriously first with one eye and then with the other, that the saddler said to himself, “I guess he’s been at the Rehbock.”

CHAPTER IX.

Mother Gertrude also gives good advice.