BOOK. ONE: YESTERDAY lows da. The gentlemen understand their custorners, as every good business man does. Theic goods are shoddy, but saleable. And their propaganda is first-class, let me tell you. Don't under-estimate their leader, Herr Hintze. Oppermann's Furni.. ture Stores could congratulate themselves if they had such a good director of publicity." n Herr Jaques Lavendel did not speak in a louu .one, How- ever., without effort, his hoarse voice compelled attention. But the others were reluetant to agree with him, Here, in the charming rooms of Gustav Oppermann, people were not in-: clined to concede that a thing as imbecile as the N.ationalist movement had a chance, Gustav Oppermann's books were ranged along the walls, the lihrary and study fonned a unit ot good taste and comfort, the likeness of Immanuel Oppermann, shrewd, kindly, tremendously life..Iike, watched the company. One's foundations were firm, one wasequipped with compre- hensive knowledge, enjoyed the fine things bygone centuries had developed, had a substantial bank balance. It seemed ridic- ulous to imagine that the tarne, domesticated beast-the com- mon man---threatened to revert to his wolfish nature. The brisk chief clerk Siegfried Brieger made merry at the expense of the leader of the party and his rnovement. The leader was not a German, he was an Austrian, his movement was Austria's revenge for the defeat she had suffered at the hands of the Germans in 1866. Was it not an impossible under- taking to make a law of Anti...Semitism? How was ODe to know who was a Jew and who was not? "They can spot me all right, of course," said Herr Brieger coolly, poinring to his big nose. "But have not the rnajority of German Jews so merged themselves in the nation that it really only rests with them whether they admit that they are [ews or not? By the way, do YOll know the story of the old banker Dessauer? Herr Dessauer thought his name too Jewish. He changed it. He announced: 'From now on I am no Ionger Herr Dessauer hut

THE OPPERMANNS Herr Dessoir.' Herr Cohn met Herr Dessauer in the tram. 'Good morning, Herr Dessauer,' says he. Says Herr Dessauer, 'Excuse me, Herr Cohn, but my name is now Dessoir.' 'Par.. don, Herr Dessoir,' says Herr Cohn. Two minutes later he calls hirn Herr Dessauer again. 'Excuse me, Dessoir,' Herr Dessoir corrects him emphatically. 'Pardon, pardon,' says Herr Cohn, excusing himself volubly. The two gentlemen leave the tram and walk a little way together. Herr Cohn asks, after a few minutes: 'Could you tell me, Herr Dessoir, where I can find the nearest Pissauer?' " Herr Jaques Lavendel relished this anecdote. The author Friedrich Wilhelm Gutwetter did not understand it at first and had to have it repeated. Then a cheerful smile spread over his quiet face. "After a11," he said, pointing to Herr Lavendel, "this gentleman expressed in a concise way what is coming to a head among people of that sort, The authority of sober reason is being undermined. The paltry varnish of logic is being scraped away. An epoch is at hand during which the large, partially hyper-developed animal, known as man, will revert to his fundamentals. Aren't you thrilled to be living during these times?" Quietly, he turned his head with its shin- ing, childlike eyes around the group. His ample necktie cov.. ered the opening of his waistcoat; in his old-fashioned apparel he resembled an ascetic priest. The others smiled at the author. He figured in centuries. They were obliged to figure in shorter terms: in years, in months; to them the Nationalist movement merely stood for a brutal agitation, stirred up by military and feudal elements who hoped to derive a profit from the low instincts of the small citizen. This was the view of the cynical Professor Mühl.. heim, who made frivolous and clever jests about it. It was the view, expressed with all caution, as befitted clever business peD- pIe, of the Oppermanns; it was the view of the ladies Caroline Theiss and Ellen Rosendorff. But suddenly one of the guests