39
arranged that his brothers should take it in turns to
stay at home. Agnete, too, had to go behind the
counter sometimes. Late customers could see
Werendonk through the glass door, sitting in the
back-parlour, his head bent under the lamp, and
they knew well what he was doing, weighed down
with anxiety, striving to repair the misdeeds of
another, not allowing himself a moment's rest.
4 That fellow Werendonk,5 they used to say, c is
different from his father, he doesn't think of himself.
But he's too severe with his brothers, they're kept on
too tight a rein.'
And when the increase in business persisted, so
that sometimes five or six people had to wait their
turns, his next-door neighbour advised him to take
on an assistant, .since it couldn't but be to his
advantage to serve people more quickly. But he
thought that his brothers could easily work harder,
there was no need for them to go out in the
evenings, Sunday was quite enough for a man who
had a duty to fulfil. * No,' said Wouters, c you're
making a mistake, it's easy to see that your brother
Diderik has no heart in working after hours, and it's
understandable he should want to visit his sweet-
heart in the evenings.3
There were many more people about in that part
of the street, the shop bell could be heard every
moment, and this prosperity was regarded with
pleasure. Naturally there were shopkeepers who