BOOK ONE: YESTERDAY 121 was a concrete instance of how completely each one of us be- comes absorbed in his activities and how we magnify rnatters that concern our interests, This case was really a most simple one. The lad had made a reasonable statement. The teacher, obsessed by vulgar sentirnentalisrn, refused to admit it. Could Franccis honestly believe that, when a young fellow of the twentieth century made an honest statement in an institution of learning, it could be held against hirn? It had not quite corne to that, Rector Franccis told hirn, stroking his trim, white moustache with his well-kept hands, But Gustav really underestimated the influence which the Na- tionalist movernent unfortunately possessed, in schools as else- where. Franccis had had an interview with an official, a sen- sible fellow with whom Franccis got on very well, This official had promised hirn that, if possible, he would shortly remove the disturbing new master from the school. The official him- self, however, was dependent on exterior circumstanees and had to make compromises on all sides. The obvious poliey for hirn, Francois, was to bide his time in dealing with the Vogelsang-Oppermann affair, If Vogelsang were removed, the case would automatically be settled. But that was onIy, as al- ready stated, a possibility. It would be as well not to rely too much on that, Perhaps Gustav would urge his nephew to make the apology demanded. Gustav looked up in surprise. He had expected quite a dif- ferent conclusion to Francois's introductory remarks. He drew his thick eyebrows together, the deep, vertical furrows ap- peared above the large nose, the entire face of the emotional man reflected his amazement. The same prudence which had permitted hirn to invest money abroad, through Mühlheim, was now prompting Dr. Franccis. Such prudence was, cer- tainly, not to be expected from a boy. After a short silence, he said: "No, my dear Francois, I cannot help you in this affair. I can understand anyone who does not mention a fact which