f St. George's, his brother spoke of pleasures with which he
was glad to be able to make his brother's stay with him more
agreeable--and he always mentioned this stay as he would a passing
visit. When Apollonius told him he had not come to enjoy himself but
to work, he laughed as if it were an incomparable joke that Apollonius
should want to help to do nothing, and showed that he understood wit,
however dry might be its expression. Then, when his wife had gone out
of the room, he asked about his brother's understanding with his
cousin's daughter, and then laughed again at his brother wag, in whom
no one would recognize the old dreamer.

After dinner the children came in again, and with them more life and
easy familiarity. While the old conditions still confronted Apollonius
as new and strange, to the children what was new had already become
old and familiar. All the afternoon Fritz, and apparently his wife
too, were occupied only with a ball that was to be given. Fritz forgot
more and more whatever might have caused him uneasiness, in thinking
of the impression that he, as the chief person, would make on the
new-comer at the festivity, and made use of the time till it should
begin in giving him a foretaste of the affair by means of tales and
hints dropped of the honor and attention shown him on such occasions
by the most prominent citizens. He became noticeably more cheerful,
and walked more and more proudly up and down the room. The creaking of
his well-polished shoes said for the present, before the guests at the
ball could do so: "Ah, there he is! Ah, there he is!" And when at
intervals he jingled the money in his trousers-pockets all the corners
of the hall rang with: "Now the fun will begin! Now the fun will
begin!" And thither among those who were welcoming the guests--but he
was no longer walking, he was gliding, swimming on the music--every
dance was a jubilant overture on the name Nettenmair--he felt no
floor, no feet, no legs beneath him, he scarcely still felt young Frau
Nettenmair swimming along beside him, hanging to his right fin, the
most beautiful among the beautiful, just as he was the most jovial
among the jovial, the thumb on the hand of the ball.

And two hours later cries of "There he is!" really did ring from all
sides and all the corners shouted: "Now the fun will begin!" Wherever
they passed chairs were offered them. No hand was shaken as often and
as long as that of jovial Fritz Nettenmair, no