"That would be contrary to the last wishes of my late lamented father, and they are sacred to me. And I work on such a large scale that in a few years Magda's share may be ten times as much as you now demand. I will never consent to injure my poor sister." At this the brother-in-law grinned a little. Diederich's devotion to the family did him credit, but large ideas alone were not enough. With noticeable heat Diederich retorted that, thank Heaven, he was answerable to nobody but God for the conduct of his business. "Twenty-five thousand cash and one-eighth of the net profits—that is all." Kienast drummed on the table. "I am not sure that I can accept your sister on those terms," he declared. "I will reserve my final decision for the moment." Diederich shrugged his shoulders and they finished their beer. Kienast returned with him to lunch. Diederich had begun to fear that he would refuse. Fortunately, Magda was even more seductively attired than the day before—"as if she knew that the whole game was at stake," thought Diederich as he admired her. By the time the sweets came on she had so inflamed Kienast's ardour that he was demanding the wedding in four weeks. "Is this your final decision?" asked Diederich teasingly. Kienast's reply was to take the ring out of his pocket.
After lunch Frau Hessling went on tiptoe out of the room where the engaged couple were sitting, and Diederich also decided to retire. But they fetched him to join them in a walk. "Where would you like to go, and where are mother and Emma?" Emma had refused to come and therefore Frau Hessling stayed at home. "Otherwise, it would look queer, you know," said Magda, and Diederich agreed with her. He even brushed away a little dust which had clung to her fur coat when she came into the factory. He treated Magda with respect, because she had achieved success.
They went off in the direction of the Rathaus, It was no harm, you know, to let people see you. The first person, it
