ughed at first, and said that was simply the law and he
had had to learn it too; but when the Bridge Farmer doubted that, and
told the priest, if that was the case, to celebrate mass once in Greek,
and he would pay whatever it cost, his Reverence grew abusive and
called the Bridge Farmer an impudent clod-hopper. Because he didn't
know what to say, ye see?

Now things had come to the point where the Bridge Farmer had to make up
his mind whether to try Matt again, or send somebody else to Freising
who would figure on the Greek from the start.

If he did the latter, it would take three years more, and the money for
the Fottner boy would be completely lost. And besides, nobody could
tell whether they wouldn't think up something else there in Freising,
if they couldn't trip up the new pupil on Greek. Therefore he resolved
to have Matt try the thing once more, and admonished him that he'd just
have to take a fresh hold and keep it.

This to be sure Fottner did not do, for he was no friend of toilsome
head-work, but his teacher was himself a clergyman, who knew that the
servants of God could officiate without learning, if need be. Therefore
he preferred, purely from a sense of duty, not to injure Matt, and with
Christian charity he let him be promoted the second year.

Matt came home as a member of the fifth form, and looked for all the
world like a student.

He was already seventeen, and physically very much developed.

The Vicar of Aufhausen he overtopped by a head, and all his limbs were
coarse and uncouth. And at this time also he lost his boyish voice and
assumed a rasping bass.

When he foregathered with his school friends Joseph Scharl of
Pettenbach and Martin Zollbert of Glonn, it was clear that he could
drink vastly more than they, and that he already was well informed on
all convivial regulations.

His class spirit was strong, and he would sing with his boon companions
such college songs as "_Vom hoh'n Olymp herab ward uns die Freude_" or
"_Drum Bruederchen er-her-go biba-ha-mus_"[A] so powerfully and loudly
that the Bridge Farmer at the next table would be astonished at the
scholarly attainments of the former village lad.

[Footnote A: Familiar drinking songs.--TRANSLATOR.]

And when Matt made his visit at the parsonage, he did not as in
previous years request the cook to announce him, but handed her his
calling card, on which was neatly printed:

Matthew Fottner