ld gentleman held most dear, had accomplished. The
father saw only a realization of the fear which Apollonius' diligence
had awakened in him. In unfilial fashion Apollonius had concealed the
danger from him in order to be able to take the whole credit for the
rescue to himself. Or he looked upon his father as a helpless, blind
old man who was not, and could not be anything but an incumbrance.
This latter feeling the old gentleman could forgive him less than the
former, even in face of his grief over his son's death, which he now
deemed a certainty. The more he thought of it, the more convinced he
became that things would never have come to such a pass if he had
known about it and taken the matter in hand, and that Apollonius in
fact had only his own ambitious desires to thank for his death. These
thoughts, however, had to give way before immediate necessity. What he
knew concerning Fritz was enough to strengthen suspicion once it was
aroused, but not to create it in the first place unless there were
some additional reason of which he knew nothing. He must learn from
his guilty son himself if such existed. He had made up his mind what
to do in any case. He called for his hat and cane. At any other time
Valentine would have been astonished at this command, perhaps even
frightened. But when one is wrought up over something unusual, only
the usual seems unexpected, only that which calls to mind the old
quiet state of affairs. As the old gentleman made ready to depart, he
pointed out to Valentine once more how foolish and groundless his
fears were. "Who knows," he said grimly, "what our neighbor saw? How
could he recognize anybody at night, so far off? And you with your ax
story! If the rope should break by chance or any other accident happen
to the boy in Brambach, of course you would be sure and certain that
it was your imaginary ax-slashes that had done it, and that the man
whom our neighbor pretends to have seen sneaking into the shed, had
made them. And if you say a word or make mysterious hints about all
that you imagine in your silly pate, the whole town will be full of it
in no time. Not because what you have invented is probable enough for
any sensible man to believe, but just because people are glad to speak
ill of anybody. God will take care that nothing happens to the boy.
But of course it might happen, and maybe it has already happened. How
easy it is for an accident to happen to anybody, specially to a slater
wh