It was in vain that his wife, Sidonia, asked her daughter, "What ails the man, that he sighs so deeply ?" It was in vain that Itzig sought to cheer his master's spirits by drawing glowing pictures of the future.

All the dissatisfaction in Ehrenthal's breast exploded against his book-keeper.
"It was you who advised me to take these steps against the baron," he screamed at him on the morning after his scene with Bernhard.

"Do you know what you are?
You are a good for nothing fellow." Itzig shrugged his shoulders, and returned an ironical reply, which made Ehrenthal glad to bury his head in the newspaper.

Longer than two days he could not endure the sight of the sorrow of his son, who got visibly worse, and only answered his father in monosyllables.

"I must make a sacrifice," said Ehrenthal to himself.