BOOK ONE: YESTERDAY 99 tion and courtesy. What terrible days these were. Onee more Goethe was right: "There is nothing the rabble fear more than In zelligence. If they understood what is truly terrifying, they would fear lgnorance" Yet he, Francois, knowing what was right, had to sit there with his hands tied. He was not allowed to protect the clever lad against that bully of a man, his teaeher. For, unfortunately, Little Thundercloud was right. If one got carried away, if one dared openly to espouse the cause of reason, then the whole herd of Nationalist newspapers would begin to bellow. And the Republic is weak, the Republic al- ways eats humble pie. It leaves one to the mercy of the bel- lowing herd. One loses one's job, one's bread and butter, one's children are pauperized, and one loses the best thing life has to offer: a tranquil old age. Dr. Vogelsang, meanwhile, was explaining his view of the case point by point. "Lapsus linguae,' said he, "slip-of-the- tongue, you claim. But does not the importance of these school lectures lie precisely in the fact that they release, through his contact with an audience, the real sentiments of the lecturer P" He was on his favourite topic now. "Talking is more important than writing. The glorious example of the Leader proves it. And wh at the Leader says on that subject in his book, My Battle-" At this point, however, Rector Franccis interrupted him. "No, my dear colleague," he said. "I refuse to follow you into this field." His mild voice sounded unusually resolute, his friendly eyes flashed through the big lenses of his glasses, his cheeks flushed, he drew himself up-one realized he was taller than Senior Master Vogelsang. "You know, my dear colleague, that since the establishment of this school I have been fighting for the purity of German speech. 1 am not a fighter by nature; life has demanded many a compromise from me. However, 1 can make one statement: I have been uncornpromising in this fight. And I shall remain so. Of course, I have been shown