"Gentlemen, meinswegens, that is a stupid joke! It is true, I have built myself a new house----"
"Of logwood," cried the shoemaker. "Of logwood!" repeated the others.
"No! no!" cried the dyer, "of fir wood, with oaken beams!"
"Of logwood!" cried the others.
"Gentlemen," began Johann once more, very impressively, raising himself up, and striking his breast with his blue fist, "I am, meinswegens, a Rahnstadt burgher, and I have no more to say."
"That is enough!" cried several.
"Then do as you ought!" cried the day-laborers, "down with the blockhead, he tells us nothing but what we know already."
And Johann "Meinswegens" was obliged to come down from the platform.
Then came Kurz: "Fellow-citizens! We are to discuss poverty, and my honored predecessor has been speaking of indigo. That is a pretty business! Why should we poor merchants pay taxes, if every dyer may get his own indigo, and my honored Herr Predecessor can only do this, because no one can overlook his cards, and see how much indigo he uses, and how much logwood!"
"You look at the cards, yourself!" cried a voice behind him,--he looked round, right into Bräsig's face, but was not disconcerted, and went on: "For he can buy his indigo cheaper of me than even at Rostock. But, fellow-citizens, about poverty--if it goes on like this, we shall all become poor."