— — —Maarten Morl was of a good family; at the beginning of his career he had been attached in a small but honourable capacity to one of the German courts — that of the King of Wurttemberg. There had been an elder brother, heir to a not inconsiderable estate. Martin, as second son, had had an income sufficient to maintain a good appearance. When he was twenty-six years of age he had, despite the success he had made of his chosen career, changed all his plans and entered the Lutheran Church — devoting himself to the spiritual labours with great zeal and enthusiasm. On the death of his elder brother, two years afterwards, he had come into possession of the family fortune, but had, nevertheless, continued unchanged his modest, laborious life. He was then a man of some considerable property, t
