"Indeed? Well, I hope you reminded him of it when you met him."
"No; Baron Thurgau did not mention my name----"
"And of course you did not do so either," said Wolfgang, laughing. "Just like you! Chance brings you into contact with an influential man whose mere word would procure you an advantageous position, and you never even tell him your name! I shall repair your omission; the first time I see the president I shall tell him----"
"Pray do no such thing. Wolf," Benno interrupted him. "You had better say nothing about it."
"And why not?"
"Because--the man has risen to such a height in life that he might not like to be reminded of the time when he was a simple engineer."
"You do him injustice. He is proud of his humble origin, as all clever men are, and he could not fail to be pleased to be reminded of an early friend."
Reinsfeld gently shook his head. "I am afraid the memory would be a painful one. Something happened later,--I never knew what,--I was a boy at the time; but I know that the breach was complete. Nordheim never came again to our house, and my father avoided even the mention of his name; they were entirely estranged."
"Then of course you could not reckon upon his favour," said Elmhorst, in a disappointed tone. "The president seems to me to be one who never forgives a supposed offence."
"Yes, they say he has grown extremely haughty and domineering. I wonder that you can get along with him. You are not a man to cringe."