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Oberwiederstadt.
    The revenue steward was waiting for them, although by now it was dark. Fritz presented his father’s letter, and waited for him to read it through twice. Then, feeling the awkwardness of silence, he said, ‘Herr Revenue Steward, I think my Father has commissioned you to give me some money.’
    Steinbrecher took off his spectacles.
    ‘Young Freiherr, there is no money.’
    ‘He sent me a long way to be told that.’
    ‘I imagine that he wanted you to remember it.’

11
A Disagreement
    F RITZ walked the thirty-two miles back to Weissenfels. When he reached the Kloster Gasse his father had returned from the offices of the Salt Mines Administration, but he was not alone.
    ‘His Highmindedness, the Uncle Wilhelm, is here,’ Sidonie told him. ‘The Big Cross himself. They are discussing your affairs. How did you get on with Steinbrecher? I’ll tell you what I think, it’s this: if some people were not older than others, and young people were as rich as old ones -‘
    ‘But, Sidonie, I really believe now that we are much poorer even than we thought.’
    ‘You don’t ask me what I believe,’ said Sidonie. ‘I am here in the house, I have more opportunity to think about it than you do.’
    ‘It depends on all of us now, but on myself in particular -‘ Fritz began, but the Bernhard, who had made his appearance, interrupted: ‘I am the chief sufferer. When the Big Cross is here, my mother brings me forward,believing that I am his favourite. In fact he dislikes children, and myself in particular.’
    ‘He will expect better wine and more company than we usually have,’ said Sidonie. ‘He mentioned that, you know, the last time he honoured us with a visit.’
    ‘Last time I was called upon to recite,’ the Bernhard continued, ‘my uncle shouted: “For what reason has he been taught such idiocies?”’
    ‘My mother is not in the salon,’ said Sidonie. ‘What shall I tell her to do?’
    ‘Nothing,’ said Karl, who was lying at ease on the only sofa. His position was unassailable. In a week he was off to begin his military training as a cadet with a regiment of carabiniers in the service of the Elector of Saxony. He was therefore approved of by his Uncle Wilhelm, even though he had never been invited to Lucklum. Fritz appeared not to be listening. Some urgency, some private resolution seemed to possess him. Sidonie had not noticed it when he first walked in, she had perhaps been too pleased to see him, but now it was unmistakable, as though he had brought an embarrassing stranger in with him, who was waiting for the moment of introduction.
    In the reception room the Big Cross did not take a chair, but walked rapidly up and down, displaying each time he turned back into the room the dazzling emblem on his dark blue cloak. The Freiherr, tired after a day of disputes at the Inspectorate, sat in his roomy elbow-chair,thinking that if his brother did not take off his outer garment, there was some hope that he would soon go. ‘But where is your wife, where is Auguste?’ enquired Wilhelm.
    ‘I don’t imagine she will appear this afternoon.’
    ‘Why is that? She need not fear me, I am not a spook.’
    ‘She needs rest, she is delicate.’
    ‘If a woman keeps working, she will find she is never tired.’
    ‘You have never married, Wilhelm. But here, at least, is Friedrich.’ Fritz, pale as clay, came into the salon, and after greeting his father and his uncle not quite attentively enough began at full pitch.
    ‘I want to tell you that I have decided what I am to do with my life. It came to me on the journey back from Oberwiederstadt.’
    ‘How fortunate that I am here,’ said the Big Cross, ‘just when my advice is most needed.’
    ‘During my studies at Jena and now at Leipzig you, Uncle, have taken it amiss because I preferred philosophy and history to law, and you Father, have been offended when I said that even law would be preferable to theology. But now I want both of you to put