himself originated more than half of them. Then presently he began to
suggest designs, and at the end of an hour he found himself at a table
in Spener's office drawing shapes for baskets and chairs and tables
and ornamental devices, and making Spener laugh so at some remark as
to be heard all over the building.

"You say you are an architect," he said after Leonhard had covered a
sheet of paper with suggestions written and outlined for him, which he
looked at with swiftly-comprehending and satisfied eyes. "What do you
say to doing a job for me?"

"With all my heart," answered Leonhard, "if it can be done at once."

These words were in the highest degree satisfactory. Here was a man
who knew the worth of a minute. He was the man for Spener. "Come with
me," he said, "and I'll show you a building-site or two worth putting
money on;" and so they walked together out of the factory, crossed a
rustic foot-bridge to the opposite side, ascended a sunny half-cleared
slope and passed across a field; and there beneath them, far below,
rolled the grand river which had among its notable ports this little
Spenersberg.

"What do you think of a house on this site, sir?" asked Spener,
looking with no small degree of satisfaction around him and down the
rocky steep.

"I think I should like to be commissioned to build a castle with
towers and gates of this very granite which you could hew out by
the thousand cord from the quarry yonder. What a perfect gray for
building!"