THE OPPERMANNS the war, when things were going badly with the elegant Herr Hintze, Herr Brieger had found hirn a job in Oppermann's Furniture Stores. Under his guidance, the indefatigable, con- scientious fellow had quickly reached a position of trust, Martin Oppermann made his report to his two assistants, The three knew one another well, The result of the interview had been a foregone conclusion.No one had believed that Wels would accept. The only question had been how he would take it. After Martin's report everyone realized that it would have been wiser to have let Herr Brieger deal with Herr Wels. Brieger could have made Wels an even Iess favourable offer than Oppermann, and yet Wels would have gone away more satisfied. What bad to be done now was obvious. Wels would have to be shown that the Oppermann business could discount the odium attaching to [ewish enterprises without his help. A les- son of that kind would make him more tractable, The present political tranquillity was the best chance they had to take some necessary and long-premeditated steps. All that was required was to turn the [ewish firm of Opper- mann into a stock company with a neutral name that was beyend suspicion, Other Jewish firms had done weil after chang- ing their names in this way. What happened was that pur~ chasers who wished to boycott a certain Jewish firm supplied their needs by having recourse to an apparently non-jewish company, which was in reality nothing more nor less than a subsidiary of the hated Jewish firm. As Wels did not choose to join them, the Oppermanns would themselves float a stock company under the name of "German Furniture Company" and, to begin with, merge one of the Berlin and one of the provincial branches into it, That was technically easy to da, promised success, was the best solution. All the same it required a certain amount of courage to carry it through. "German Furniture Company,"

BOOK ONE: YESTERDAY what meaning did that convey? Sornething vague, indefinite, as colourless as "railroad car." Oppermann's Furniture Stores, on the other hand, could not be disassociated from the picture of Immanuel Oppermann, from stout, respectable Martin, from brisk, big-nosed Herr Brieger. Cutting the Berlin branch in Steglitz and the Breslau branch away from the main busi- ness and calling them "German Furniture Company" was like amputating a finger or a toe. But was not just this necessary if they were to save the whole business? It was. Once their minds were made up, quick action was impera- tive. Martin was to speak to the other Oppermanns and wouId that very day get in touch with Professor Mühlheim, the legal adviser of the Oppermanns. When he was alone, Martin rested both his arms heavily on the sides of his chair. His shoulders drooped. Perhaps it would be a good idea to da some exercises every morning, as his wife had advised hirn. Forty-eight is not a great age, hut if one does not look after oneself, one will be an old man in two years. Gustav looked delightfully young and fresh. Gustav had an easy time of it. T 0 exercise successfully would take up at least twenty-five minutes each morning. Where was he, Martin, go- ing to find those twenty-five minutes? He pulled hirnself together, sighed, and reached ror his mail. No. That was not so important, The difficult job must come first, that had been his invariable rule. He must notify his brothers and sister at onee. He would not spoil Gustav's day for hirn. It was out of the question that Gustav would have any objections. He would sigh, make a few comments of phil- osophical nature, and sign. It would be still easier with Edgar. He would have his chief difficulty with Jaques Lavendel, his brother-in-law, the husband of Klara Oppermann. He would not make any objections either. On the contrary, that experi- enced business man had long been urging that the name of