Feklitus, on the other hand, was nothing but a hindrance to these
schemes, because he would go into a thing only if he was allowed to take
the principal part in it, and he always behaved as if he had devised the
plan himself as much as Oscar. Still, it was necessary to take him in,
and ensure his favor; as otherwise he would take his whole party into
opposition, and ensure the failure of the enterprise. For the class was
divided into two nearly equal parties, and indeed this party-spirit had
spread so far that the whole school, even down to the primary class, was
divided into two camps, the Oscarians and the Feklitusians. Oscar had on
his side all the independent fellows, all the sons of well-to-do
peasants, all the sons of mechanics who were to follow in their fathers’
footsteps, and all those whose future vocation was decided on, from the
coachman to the teacher.
All the other boys were followers of Feklitus; for he had a terrible
phrase, which he used with great effect, when he wished to press them
into his ranks; it was, “Just you wait till you come into our factory!”
It was curious to see how this would work like a charm with the wavering
boys; for the very indefiniteness of what would happen when they came to
the factory, lent a mysterious force to this dark threat. But no threat,
no promise, no hint had the slightest effect upon Fani. He was to enter
the factory the coming Easter, at the close of the school-year; and this
he knew very well; but he adhered firmly to Oscar’s side, and when
Feklitus would angrily call out to him, “Just you wait,” he would turn
on his heel, and answer laughing, “Oh yes! I’ll wait! I’m not in the
least hurry”; an answer which did not lessen Feklitus’ anger, and which
made him long for the time when the boy should be “in the factory,”
when he promised himself that things should not go too easily for him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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