Brotherly love! Christian spirit! What your kind needs is to have
your breeches drawn tight and your behind flogged! I'd make you sick of
playing with fires, you infamous little scamp!--Yes, Dr. Boxer, that is
exactly my conviction. You can shrug your shoulders all you please; that
doesn't disturb me in the slightest degree. You can even take up your pen
and raise the cry of cruelty and unfeelingness in the public prints!
Flogging! Christian discipline--that's what is needed, and no sentimental
slopping around! You understand!
GUSTAV
[_Has become more and more excited by the rising enthusiasm of the
speaker. At the end of WEHRHAHN'S oratorical effort he can restrain
himself no longer and breaks out in a loud, deceptively exact imitation
of an ass's bray._] I! a! a! a! I! a! a! a!
[_General embarrassment._
WEHRHAHN
[_Also embarrassed._] What does that mean?
GLASENAPP
I really don't know.
LANGHEINRICH
That's Gustav's art, your honour. He's famous for imitatin' animals'
voices.
WEHRHAHN
Is that so? And what animal was this supposed to be?
LANGHEINRICH
I guess a lion, all right.--
[_General laughter._
_WEHRHAHN shrugs his shoulders, laughs jeeringly and goes to his
seat.
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