man's countenance,
that the councilman was almost ashamed of the admonition he had been
on the point of giving him.

Apollonius began by stating the results of the examination he had
made. He explained the condition of the places he had been able to
test and what might be inferred from that as regarded the others. As
the church accounts showed, no extensive repairs had been made to the
church roof for eighty years. Even though the slate itself, if the
material was good, might defy the elements for a long time yet, this
was not true of the nails with which the slates were fastened to the
lathing and planking. And wherever he had tested them he had found the
nails either entirely destroyed or very nearly so.

It was unavoidably necessary to re-lay the entire slate covering and
to replace with new material the rotten spots in the lathing and
planking. Another winter would make the condition of the roof so much
worse that there was nothing to be gained by postponing the repairs
with the object of saving the interest, for, without greater loss, the
repairs could at the most be delayed only till the next year. He led
those assembled to places which might serve as samples. He did not
draw the conclusion himself, but knew how to use the cleverness which
he had learnt from his cousin to force his opponents to do that for
him.

The councilman's confidence in and respect for our Apollonius grew
visibly. During the rest of the discussion he appealed almost entirely
to him and shook his hand cordially when the left the meeting. If the
undertaking should receive the approval of the Council, which he now
no longer doubted, he hoped that Apollonius would take an active part
in it, and he requested him to write out a report as to the most
practical method of beginning it. Apollonius thanked him modestly for
his confidence, of which he would try to show himself worthy. As to
his taking part in the work itself, he replied that his father, as the
master, would have to decide.

"I'll go with you at once," said the councilman, "and speak to him."

Even though Fritz had conducted the business until now and was
regarded and treated by the important people as the master, still he
was not. The old man had let him become master just as little as he
had formally made over the business to him; he wanted to reserve to
himself a sovereign power of interference wherever he should find it
necessary.

He heard the two approaching while still at