that Baron von Berg has dapple-gray
horses?" or, "Must you wear patent leather boots, or shoes, at Frau von
Baldereck's?" But Pix, his former patron, was the severest of all.
Excessive toleration had never been one of this gentleman's weaknesses,
and he now, for no very definite reasons, looked upon Anton as a traitor
to himself and the firm. He was in the habit of keeping his birth-day in
a most festal manner, surrounded by all his friends, and, knowing this,
Anton had purposely refused an invitation of Herr von Zernitz; yet, when
the day came, Fink and he were not included among the birth-day guests.

Anton felt this deeply; and, to make matters worse, Specht
confidentially told him that Pix had declared that a young gentleman who
associated with lieutenants, and frequented Feroni's, was no companion
for a plain man of business. As he sat alone and heard the merry
laughter of his colleagues, he fell into a melancholy mood, which none
of his ball-room recollections had the power to dispel.

For, truth to tell, he was not satisfied with himself--he was changed.
He was not exactly negligent of business, but it gave him no
pleasure--his work was a task. Sometimes, in writing letters, he had
forgotten the most important clauses; nay, once or twice he had made
mistakes as to prices, and Jordan had handed him them back to re-write.
He fancied, too, that the principal had not noticed him for some time
past, and that Sabine's greeting had grown colder. Even the good-natured
Karl had asked him, ironically he thought, whether he, as well as Fink,
had a pass-key. It was in this mood that he now sat down to look over
his own accounts, which of late he had omitted to keep punctually. He
was horrified to find that his debts amounted to more than he could pay
without mortgaging his little inheritance. He felt very unhappy and out
of tune; but fate willed that the discord should increase.

Two or three evenings later, the merchant, returning early from his
club, answered Sabine's greeting dryly, and paced up and down the room.

"What is the matter, Traugott?" asked she.

He threw himself into a chair. "Would you like to know how Fink got his
protege introduced into Frau von Baldereck's circle? You were so ready
to admire this proof of his friendship! He has concocted a whole system
of lies, and made the inexperienced Wohlfart play the part of a mere
adventurer." And he went on to narrate all that we already know.

"But is it cert