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312 Whenever people were not applauding Klappsch and his daughter hastened with beer, at a sign from Diederich.

Dr. Heuteufel at once asked for permission to take part in the discussion, but Gottlieb Hornung got in before him. Diederich, for his part, preferred to remain in; the background, behind the cloud of smoke which enveloped the platform. He had promised Hornung ten marks and the latter was not in a position to refuse. Gnashing his teeth he stepped over to the edge of the platform, and began to explain the speech of the gallant major, by saying that the army, for which we are all prepared to make any sacrifice, was our bulwark against the turbid flood of democracy. "Democracy is the philosophy of the half-educated," said the apothecary. "It has been defeated by science." Some one shouted: "Hear! Hear!" It was the druggist who wished to associate with him: "There will always be masters and men," asserted Gottlieb Hornung, "for it is the same in nature. It is the one great truth, for each of us must have a superior to fear, and an inferior to frighten. What would become of us otherwise? If every nonentity believes that he is somebody, and that we are all equal! Unhappy the nation whose traditional and honourable social forms are broken up by the solvent of democracy, and which allows the disintegrating standpoint of personality to get the upper hand!"

Here Gottlieb Hornung folded his arms and thrust forward his head. "I," he cried, "who have been a member of a crack corps and know what it is to shed my blood gladly for the colours—I refuse to sell tooth-brushes!" "Or sponges, either?" asked a voice.

"Or sponges either!" said Hornung decisively. "I emphatically forbid any one else to ask that of me. People should always know with what sort of a person they are dealing. Honour to whom honour is due. And in that sense we give our votes to the one candidate who will allow the Emperor as