Fiction > Book editions > London, 1888 - Prince Otto

22 PRINCE OTTO
virtue ; but when a man has neither, the Lord
Hghten him! Even this Gondremark, that
Fritz here thinks so much of '
' Ay,' interrupted Fritz, ' Gondremark's the
man for me. I woukl we had his hke in
Gerolstein.'
' He is a bad man,' said the old farmer,
shaking his head ; ' and there was never good
begun by the breach of God's commandments.
But so far I will go with you : he is a man that
works for what he has.'
' I tell you he's the hope of Grtinewald,'
cried Fritz. ' He doesn't suit some of your
high-and-dry, old, ancient ideas ; but he's a
downright modern man — a man of the new
lights and the progress of the age. He does
some things wrong ; so they all do ; but he has
the people's interests next his heart ; and you
mark me — you, sir, who are a Liberal, and the
enemy of all their governments, you please to
mark my words — the day will come in Grtine-
wald, when they take out that yellow-headed
skulk of a Prince and that dough-faced Messalina
of a Princess, march 'em back foremost over the
borders, and proclaim the Baron Gondremark
first President. I've heard them say it in a
speech. I was at a meeting once at Brandenau,
and the Mittwalden delegates spoke up for
fifteen thousand. Fifteen thousand, all brigaded,