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he put his books and accounts away in order to
think over the situation.
He foresaw that there would be trouble with the
boy, sooner or later. Mr. Wessels was being very
lenient, but if there were too many complaints he
would lose his position. He wasn't suited for the
shop, and still less for any trade ; he would never
find his right place unless his conduct improved.
That was the root of the matter. You couldn't
expect good work from an imperfect tool. He had
been strict with him and had shown him the right
path from the moment the boy was able to stand
on his feet, he had reasoned with him and had im-
planted in him a respect for the scriptures, he had
forgiven him much, too, time and time again. What
good had it been ? The explanation must be one
of two things ; either this human creature was not
capable of improvement, or the hands whose task
it had been to mould him had lacked skill. He
had no right to believe the former. But there had
been no other hands, more skilled than his own, to
take charge of the child. And even though he might
have fallen short, he had always had the will to bring
him up in strict accordance with his duty. And
more than that too. For on these evenings, when he
stared in front of him and neglected hi$ figures, he
had felt in his innermost heart that the child
meant more to him-thau the fulfilment of a duty.
In the beginning it had been no more than that,