almost tapped Diederich on the shoulder. "Dr. Hessling," he said amiably, "Don't you do that. We two—yes, I say we two. … His grin was so full of threats that Diederich shuddered. He quickly offered Napoleon Fischer a cigar. Fischer smoked and said:
"If one of us two were to begin talking where would the other stop? Ain't I right, Dr. Hessling? But we are not a pair of old chatterboxes who have to blab everything immediately, like Herr Buck for example."
"What do you mean?" asked Diederich dully, as he fell into one fright after another. The machinist professed to be astonished. "Don't you know? Herr Buck goes about everywhere saying that you do not really mean all that patriotic stuff so badly. You simply want to get Gausenfeld cheap, and you think you will get it cheaper if Klüsing is frightened about certain contracts because he is not a patriot."
"Is that what he says?" asked Diederich, who felt stunned.
"That's what he says," Fischer repeated. "And he also says he will do you a favour and speak a word in your behalf to Klüsing. Then you will probably be quieter, he says."
Then a weight was lifted from Diederich's heart. "Fischer," he said with a short bark, "just you watch what happens. You will see old Buck standing in the gutter begging. That's what you'll see. I'll answer for it, Fischer. Good-bye."
Old Buck had blue eyes, a benevolent smile, and he was the most treacherous dog of all those who threatened the loyalists. The thought of old Buck held Diederich as if in a dream. The next evening, under the light of the domestic lamp, he was so busy with imaginary moves against old Buck that he did not hear the family when they spoke to him. He was particularly embittered because he had looked upon the old man as a toothless old chatterbox, and now he was showing his teeth. After all his humanitarian phrase-making it seemed a challenge to Diederich that he did not now allow himself to be simply gobbled up. The hypocritical gentleness with which
