near him. He was holding a large bouquet in front of him and looking in the direction of the train. Those shoulders seemed familiar to Diederich. … That was the devil himself! Judith Lauer nodded from a carriage, her husband helped her out, and actually handed her the bouquet, which she accepted with that serious smile of hers. As the pair turned towards the exit, Diederich hastened, fuming, to get out of their way. The devil had nothing to do with it. Lauer's term was up simply; he was a free man once more. Not that there was anything further to fear from him, but one would have to become accustomed again to the thought that he was at large. … And he received her with flowers! Did he not know anything? Surely he had had time to reflect. And she returned to him after he had served his sentence! There were situations of which no decent men would even dream. In any case, the matter did not concern Diederich any more than every one else. He had only done his duty on that occasion. "Everybody will be as painfully affected as myself. Everywhere they will give him to understand that he had better remain quiet. … He has made his bed and must lie on it." Käthchen Zillich had understood that and drawn the right conclusion. What was right in her case applied to others, and not only to Herr Lauer.
Diederich himself, who walked through the town to the accompaniment of respectful greetings, now assumed in the most natural way the position to which his services had entitled him. During those strenuous times he had fought his way through so hard that it now only remained for him to reap his reward. Others had begun to believe in him, and forthwith his own doubts vanished. … Lately there had been unfavourable rumours about Gausenfeld, and the shares fell. How had people heard that the government had withdrawn its contracts and entrusted them to Hessling's firm? Diederich had not breathed a word about it, but it became known even before the dismissal of the workmen, which the "Netzig Journal" re-
