ollonius, the six years had not altered the house as they had its
inmates. He went softly through the back door, past Moldau who growled
in a friendly way and whose rough neck he stroked full of gratitude
for this sign of constancy, mounted the stairs, walked the length of
the piazza and found a bed in his little room. But before he undressed
he still sat for a long time on the chair by the window and compared
what he had found with what he had left. Before he lay down for the
night he had determined on his future course of action. The next
morning he must learn what he was to do here, his relation to his
father's house must be clearly settled. If there was no work for him,
he would be on his way back to Cologne before the day was over.

He was up with the sun; but he had long to wait before it pleased his
brother to rise from his couch. He made use of the time to take a walk
to St. George's; he wanted to see for himself what was to be done
there. When he came back again he met his brother and a gentleman with
him who were just about to leave the living room. Apollonius knew the
gentleman as the inspector of buildings from the town council. They
greeted each other. They had already spoken to each other the day
before at the ball, where the gentleman had not proved himself to be a
prominent man and citizen, but, on the contrary, had joined the
Philistines, everyday fellows, and insignificant people. Apparently he
was not displeased to meet Apollonius just now. After the customary
exchange of courtesies he explained the purpose of his presence. A
final conference of experts was to take place that morning to consider
what was to be done to the roof of the church and the tower, so that
the result could be reported at a meeting of the council in the
afternoon and a decision reached. Fritz Nettenmair and the inspector
were on the way to St. George's, where they knew that the rest of the
experts were already assembled.

Fritz, as he said, did not want to trouble his visitor by making him
participate in business in which he was not concerned; just as
little--but he did not say this--did he want to leave him alone at
home. He asked him to be at the house in the woods, from which he
would fetch him to go for a walk. Apollonius assured him quite easily
that he would rather be present at the meeting; and when the inspector
went so far as to ask him to go with him as another expert, no pretext
could be found on which this could be