Possibly,
again, Geissler himself had at last begun to feel the need of money,
and had been forced to sell for what he could get. Twenty-five or
fifty thousand was not to be despised, after all. As a matter of fact,
there were rumours that it was his eldest son who had settled the
business on his father's account.

Be that as it might, work was recommenced; the same engineer came
again with his gangs of men, and the work went on anew. The same work,
ay, but in a different fashion now, going backwards, as it were.

All seemed in regular order: the Swedish mine-owners had brought their
men, and dynamite and money--what could be wrong, anyway? Even Aronsen
came back again, Aronsen the trader, who had set his mind on buying
back Storborg from Eleseus.

"No," said Eleseus. "It's not for sale."

"You'll sell, I suppose, if you're offered enough?"

"No."

No, Eleseus was not going to sell Storborg. The truth was, he had
changed his mind somewhat as to the position; it was none so bad,
after all, to be owner of a trading station in the hills; he had a
fine verandah with coloured glass windows, and a chief clerk to do
all the work, while he himself went about the country travelling. Ay,
travelling first class, with fine folks. One day, perhaps, he might
be able to go as far as America--he often thought of that. Even these
little journeys on business to the towns down in the south were
something to live on for a long time after. Not that he let himself go
altogether, and chartered a steamer of his own and held wild orgies on
the way--orgies were not in his line. A strange fellow, was Eleseus;
he no longer cared about girls, had given up such things altogether,
lost all interest in them. No, but after all, he was the Margrave's
son, and travelled first class and bought up loads of goods. And each
time he came back a little finer than before, a greater man; the last
time, he even wore galoshes to keep his feet dry. "What's that--you
taken to wearing two pairs of shoes?" they said.

"I've been suffering from chilblains lately," says Eleseus.

And every one sympathized with Eleseus and his chilblains.

Glorious days--a grand life, with no end of leisure. No, he was not
going to sell Storborg. What, go back to a little town and stand
behind the counter in a little shop, and no chief clerk of his own at
all? Moreover, he had made up his mind now to develop the business
on a grand scale. The Swedes had come back again and wou