"I say conscientious, excellent man? Well, that question can easily be answered. I would do what you have already done. I would cheerfully turn my back upon the paradise of naïve thoughtlessness and harmless orthodoxy, after having, tasted of the tree of knowledge. I would not allow myself to be cooped up in that stall in which the hypocrites, the vile dogs in the sheeps' clothing of humility, are whining and howling so fearfully." "Very well, very well!" said Mr. Bemperlein, rubbing his hands with delight, "and what would you do next, my dear sir?" "Then," replied Oswald, "if I were you, I would remember what sufferings I had endured as a weak boy, and what industry and perseverance I had shown, simply in order to acquire a vast mass of knowledge which I am now glad to be able to forget again. I would remember this, I say, and now study a science which I should not wish to forget again, because I could be a pupil there without first fettering my reason, and because this science is fruitful for myself and fruitful for my fellow-beings." "Excellent! excellent!" said Mr. Bemperlein. "Go on, go on!" "In one word, I would devote myself," continued Oswald, "with all my strength to those sciences which you have already tried, and I would, for that purpose, return to Grunwald and enter my name once more as a student, but not in order to study Theology, but this time Medicine." "The Medical Faculty in Grunwald is excellent," said Mr. Bemperlein. "It is acknowledged to be one of the best in Germany," continued Oswald. "Then I would go to some other universities as long as the money lasts." "Money like hay, money like hay," continued Mr. Bemperlein--"for six years a princely income and full board--I pray you, my dear sir, I have enough to live on for half a century." "Then I would become a famous physician----" "Do you know," said Bemperlein, standing still and looking back at the boys, in a whisper, "I have already poisoned some of Julius' rabbits secretly, and dissected them afterwards, and the frogs in the swamps behind our park have no reason to be friends of mine." "Well done!" laughed Oswald. "And then I would marry." "Really?" said Bemperlein. "Well, of course, and--have a half-dozen little Bemperleins who would, after a while, all turn out great Bemperleins, bright, shining lights in modern science." "And the girls?" said Bemperlein, laughing. "The girls will marry brave, truthful men, and thus help to bring on the good time when we shall have, 'Oh Liberty, sweet liberty!'" "Yes, yes," cried Mr. Bemperlein, "so must it come. Thanks, a thousand thanks, my dear friend; you have scattered the last clouds of doubt by your encouraging words. Tomorrow I go with Julius to Grunwald." "I will give you a letter of introduction to Professor Berger," said Oswald; "he is connected with all the great men in Natural Science." He tore a leaf from his pocket-book, wrote a few lines to Berger, and gave it to Bemperlein.