"Then you'll be the one to fork up for the whole business," he answered--the fox--quick as a flash.
"Should I lie?" I thought. "Ah--bah, the devil!" And I confessed.
"Nope," he said point-blank. "Won't do, my boy. I won't accept it."
"Why not?"
"On account of the children, of course. I must think of my grandchildren, in case you are magnanimous enough to present me with some. I can't bequeath anything to them, so should I rob them besides? I'll win the suit in all events, even if it lasts a few years longer. I can wait."
I set to work to try to persuade him.
"The money remains in the family," I said. "I pay it and you get it. After your death it will revert to me, of course."
"Aha! You're already counting on my death?" he shouted, and began to rage and storm again. "Do you want me to lay myself in my grave alive, so that you can round off your estate with Krakowitz? I suppose it has been a thorn in your eyes a long time, my beautiful Krakowitz has."
There was no use struggling against such a bundle of unreason, so I determined upon force.
"This is my ultimatum, father," I said, "settlement and reconciliation with Lothar Pütz are the sole conditions upon which I enter your family. If you don't agree I shall have to ask Iolanthe to set me free."