he would not listen; he was irritated, the labour of bringing the people together had been too much.
There were now so many contractors for the Emperor William Monument, thanks to his efforts, that the town would never be able to pay them, not if old Kühlemann were to die and leave his money three times over I Hornung's hands were swollen from shaking those of all the newly converted patriots! They had asked too much of him; that he should associate with druggists was the least of his grievances. But Gottlieb Hornung protested against this democratic lack of respect for rank. The proprietor of the pharmacy had just given him notice to leave, but he was more determined than ever to sell neither tooth-brushes nor combs. … Meanwhile Kunze was stammering through his speech. His gloomy air was proof to Diederich that the major was not at all sure of what he wanted to say, and that he was more embarrassed by the election than he would have been in a really grave crisis. He was saying: "The army, gentlemen, is our only support," but as a heckler in Heuteufel's neighbourhood shouted: "It is rotten!" Kunze immediately lost his head, and added: "But who pays for it? The citizens." At this the people near Heuteufel shouted bravo. Thereby forced into a false position, Kunze began to explain: "Therefore, we are all supports, on that we must insist, and woe to the King who—" "Hear! Hear!" replied the Liberal voters, and they were joined by the right-thinking patriots. The major wiped the perspiration from his brow. In spite of himself his speech was developing as if it had been addressed to a Liberal meeting. From behind Diederich kept pulling his coat-tails and begged him to stop, but it was in vain that Kunze essayed to do so. He could not make a transition to the electoral slogan of the Emperor's Party. Finally he lost patience, turned suddenly very red, and with unexpected ferocity, he yelled: "Stamp them out root and branch!" The Veterans' Association thundered its applause.
