“‘Good heavens!’ she cried, starting up and wringing her hands.  ’Father!  Father!’ The old man entered.  ’What was that you read in the papers today?’ ‘About the secretary?’ he asked.  ‘Yes, yes!’ ’Oh, he absconded, left nothing but debts, and swindled everybody.  A warrant for his arrest has been issued.’  ‘Father,’ she cried, ’here’s one of his victims.  He intrusted his money to him.  He is ruined!’

“‘Oh, you blockhead!  The fools aren’t all dead yet,’ cried the old man.  ’Didn’t I tell her so?  But she always found an excuse for him.  At one time she ridiculed him, at another time he was honesty itself.  But I’ll take a hand in this business!  I’ll show you who’s master in this house.  You, Barbara, go to your room, and quickly.  And you, sir, get out, and spare us your visits in future.  We’re not in the charity business here.’  ‘Father,’ said the girl, ’don’t be harsh with him; he’s unhappy enough as it is!’ ’That’s the very reason I don’t want to become unhappy too,’ cried the old man.  ‘There, sir,’ he continued, pointing to the letter Barbara had thrown upon the table a short time before, ’there’s a man for you!  He’s got brains in his head and money in his purse.  He doesn’t swindle any one, but he takes good care at the same time not to let any one swindle him.  And that’s the main thing in being honest!’ I stammered something about the loss of the bond not being certain.  ’Ha, ha,’ he cried, ’that secretary was no fool, the sly rascal!  And now you’d better run after him, perhaps you can still catch him.’  As he said this, he laid the palm of his hand on my shoulder and pushed me toward the door.  I moved to one side and turned toward the girl, who was standing with her hands resting on the counter and her eyes fixed on the ground.  She was breathing heavily.  I wanted to approach her, but she angrily stamped her foot upon the floor; and when I held out my hand, hers twitched as though she were going to strike me again.  Then I went, and the old man locked the door behind me.

“I tottered through the streets out of the city gate into the open fields.  Sometimes despair gripped me, but then hope returned.  I recollected having accompanied the secretary to the commercial court to deposit the bond.  There I had waited in the gateway while he had gone upstairs alone.  When he came down he told me that everything was in order and that the receipt would be sent to my residence.  As a matter of fact I had received none, but there was still a possibility.  At daybreak I returned to the city, and made straightway for the residence of the secretary.  But the people there laughed and asked whether I hadn’t read the papers?  The commercial court was only a few doors away.  I had the clerks examine the records, but neither his name nor mine could be found.  There was no indication that the sum had ever been paid, and thus the disaster was certain.  But that wasn’t all, for inasmuch as a partnership contract had been drawn up, several of his creditors insisted upon seizing my person, which the court, however, would not permit.  For this decision I was profoundly grateful, although it wouldn’t have made much difference in the end.