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
that yellow-headed skulk of a Prince and that dough-faced Messalina
of a Princess, march 'em back foremost over the borders, and
proclaim the Baron Gondremark first President.
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