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178 her black satin dress. Through Magda's lace blouse more was visible than she usually displayed for the benefit of the family circle. Emma alone retained the drab demeanour and dress of ordinary weekdays. Magda showed the guest his place and seated herself on his right. They were hardly seated, and were still clearing their throats, when she began to speak, her eyes shining with feverish animation: "Now you gentle men have finished with your stupid business." Diederich explained that they had come to a very satisfactory agreement. Büschli & Co. were thoroughly fair people.

"With such an immense business as ours," declared the manager. "Twelve hundred workmen and clerks, a whole town, with a hotel of our own for customers." He invited Diederich. "You must come along, you will live in the best style and free of charge." As Magda, beside him, was hanging on his lips, he began to brag about his position, his power and privileges, the villa of which he shared one-half. "If I marry I get the other half."

Diederich laughed impressively. "Then the simplest thing would be for you to get married. Well, good health! " Magda dropped her eyes and Herr Kienast turned to other topics. Did Diederich know why he had met his wishes so easily? "The fact is, Dr. Hessling, as soon as I saw you I knew that there would be big things to be done with you later on—even though the circumstances here at present are rather narrow," he added condescendingly. Diederich would have liked to assure him of his grandiose ideas and of the possibilities of developing his business, but Kienast would not allow his train of thought to be interrupted. His specialty was sizing up men, he said. It was specially important to see in his home a man with whom one has to do business. "If everything there is so well ordered as here—"

At this point the fragrant goose was brought on, towards which Frau Hessling had several times glanced out surreptitiously. At once she assumed an air as if the goose were a