expedient. Afterward he made excuses to himself and found something
that would have been much better than Apollonius' suggestion. He was
convinced that if he only had his eyesight everything would be
different. Sometimes he gave himself up unreservedly to his joy and
pride in his son's efficiency; but this feeling was soon replaced by
the wrathful necessity to exert his diplomatic art. Apollonius
realized the restraint that he was imposing upon his father quite as
little as he did his father's pride in him. He was glad that he had
nothing more to conceal from the old gentleman concerning the
business, and that obedience to him did not interfere with the
fulfilment of his vow. The sky above the house with the green shutters
took on a brighter, bluer hue. But the spirit of the house still
wandered about wringing its hands. When the clock struck two in the
morning it stood in the arbor before the door to Apollonius' room and
raised its pallid arms pleadingly toward heaven.

The business increased under Apollonius' diligent hand; the orders
were twice as many as they had formerly been. The postman brought
great piles of letters into the house. Apollonius accepted an
advantageous offer made by the owner and leased the slate quarry. He
understood the management of the works from his stay in Cologne, and
he employed a former acquaintance from that city whom he knew to be an
expert in the business and reliable in his dealings. His choice was a
good one; the man was energetic, but in spite of this fact much
additional work fell on Apollonius. The councilman shook his head
sometimes doubtfully, fearing that Apollonius had over-estimated his
strength. It did not strike the young widow how seldom Apollonius came
into the living-room. The children, whom he often called to him to
perform little services whereby they might learn, kept up the
intercourse. They could testify that Apollonius had very little time.
She went to his room frequently, but always when he was not at home.
She adorned the doors and walls with everything she had which she knew
he loved, and she spent many hours there at work. She noticed the
pallor of his face, which seemed to become greater each time she saw
him. As she was but a mirror of his feelings, his pallor reflected
itself in her. She would have liked to cheer him up, but she did not
seek to be near him; her presence seemed to have the opposite effect
upon him from what she desired. He was always friendly