curses; it's a sad thing for a tight little happy country to be

misconducted; but whoever may complain, I humbly conceive, sir, that

this Otto cannot. What he has worked for, that he has got; and may

God have pity on his soul, for a great and a silly sinner's!'

'He has broke his oath; then he is a perjurer. He takes the money

and leaves the work; why, then plainly he's a thief. A cuckold he

was before, and a fool by birth. Better me that!' cried Fritz, and

snapped his fingers.

'And now, sir, you will see a little,' continued the farmer, 'why we

think so poorly of this Prince Otto. There's such a thing as a man

being pious and honest in the private way; and there is such a

thing, sir, as a public virtue; but when a man has neither, the Lord

lighten him! Even this Gondremark, that Fritz here thinks so much

of - '

'Ay,' interrupted Fritz, 'Gondremark's the man for me. I would we

had his like in Gerolstein.'

'He is a bad man,' said the old farmer, shaking his head; 'and there

was never good begun by the breach of God's commandments. But so

far I will go with you; he is a man that works for what he has.'

'I tell you he's the hope of Grunewald,' cried Fritz. 'He doesn't

suit some of your high-and-dry, old, ancient ideas; but he's a

downright modern man - a man of the new lights and the progress of

the age. He does some things wrong; so they all do; but he has the

people's interests next his heart; and you mark me - you, sir, who

are a Liberal, and the enemy of all their governments, you please to

mark my words - the day will come in Grunewald, when they take out

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