"Well, my son, you very likely have heard nothing whatever of this hubbub about schools?"
"Indeed, I have, father. Carl and I were in the midst of the commotion at the desecrated church of S. Peter. We saw and heard what it would have been difficult to imagine." He then proceeded to give his father a minute account of the meeting. His powerful memory enabled him to repeat Shund's speech almost verbatim. The father listened attentively, and occasionally directed a glance of observation at the young lady. When Shund's coarse ridicule of Christian morals and dogmas was rehearsed, Mr. Conrad lowered his eyes, and a frown flitted over his brow. For the rest, his countenance was, as usual, cold and stern.
"This Mr. Shund made quite a strong speech," said he, in a nonchalant way.
"He rather intensified the colors of truth, 'tis true," remarked Louise. "The masses, however, like high coloring and vigorous language."
A servant brought the banker a note.
"Good! Shund is elected to the assembly! The span of bays belongs to me," exulted Carl Greifmann.
"Your bays Seraphin?" inquired the father. "How is this?"
Mr. Conrad had twice been informed of the wager; he had learned it first from Seraphin's own lips, then also he had read of it in his diary; still he asked again, and his son detailed the story a third time.
"I should sooner have expected to see the heavens fall than to lose that bet," added Seraphin.
"When a notorious thief and usurer is elected to the chief magistracy and to the legislative assembly, the victory gained is hardly a creditable one to the spirit of progress, my dear Carl. Don't you think so, Louise?" said the landholder.