Quite right. You seem to be informed after all. Yes, I was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and afterwards they expelled me from the university too. And at that time I was just—twenty-one. However, during those two years I wrote my first book on economics. In spite of that I couldn't truthfully say that it was very good fun to be behind the bars.
HOFFMANN
Lord, what idiots we were! It's queer. And we had really taken the thing into our heads in good earnest. I can't help thinking, old man, that it was sheer puerility. The idea! A dozen green kids like ourselves to go to America and found … we found … a model state. Delicious notion!
LOTH
Puerility? Ah well, in some ways no doubt it was. We certainly underestimated the difficulty of such an undertaking.
HOFFMANN
And that you really did go to America, in all seriousness, and with empty hands … Why, think, man, what it means to acquire land and foundation for a model state with empty hands. That was almost cr … At all events it was unique in its naïveté.
LOTH
And yet I'm particularly satisfied with the result of my American trip.