well as the others?
Did he think he was blind? He was fortunately still in possession of
his eyesight, and there could surely be nothing wrong in his admiring a
pretty creature.

The schoolmaster listened in amazement to this free and easy
confession. How could his reverence say such things aloud? And in
Schmielke's presence too, that heretic. It would of course be at once
repeated and turned to account.

The others, however, were very much amused by the confession, and
shouted and laughed loudly. Jokisch, the inspector, who had hitherto
hardly opened his mouth--he had been too busy drinking--now raised his
glass. "Long live our priest. We've the best in the whole kingdom. Let
him live and let live."

They all clinked with the priest, and Jokisch was even so impertinent
as to slap him on the shoulder as he said, "What a pity, sir, that you
can't go to the ball."

"Do you think I couldn't dance, eh?" said the priest, eyeing his long
boots, which resembled those of an officer in a cavalry regiment. "You
needn't fear that I should be out of place there. What a pity"--he gave
a little sigh--"but it would never do."

"Why not, I should like to know?" asked Schmielke, and laughed. "The
youth does not know the reason why."

"Those are some fine ideas you've got," the schoolmaster blurted out.
He had worked himself into such a passion that he could not restrain
himself any longer. "You Germans seem to have some nice ideas of us.
But, of course, you're a heretic." It sounded very [Pg 61] venomous.
"It's quite possible that your clergy do such things."

"Now, now," said the priest, giving the schoolmaster a sign to be
quiet. He felt annoyed that the differences of religion and nationality
should have been brought up. How stupid of this Boehnke to make such a
to-do. They had to live together and get on with each other. The first
in the land were striving to do the same. Hiding his momentary
embarrassment under a jovial laugh, the priest broke the silence that
now reigned in the room by saying in a loud voice:

"I would advise you to take a glass of bitters, Boehnke, or some
Glauber-salt. That would do you good."

A roar of laughter greeted this witticism.

The schoolmaster turned pale and bit his lips, for he dared not say
anything; but he looked down on them all with supreme contempt. How far
superior he was to them in education--even superior to the priest, who
was only a peasant's son, whilst his father had been a