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"Do not scoff at Robak," he said; "I know him; he is a clever

priest. That little worm130 has gnawed a larger nut than you; I

have seen him but once, but as soon as I set eyes on him I

noticed what sort of bird he was; the Monk turned away his eyes,

fearing that I might summon him to confession. But that is not my

affair-of that there would be much to say! He will not come here;

it would be vain to summon the Bernardine. If all this news came

from him, then who knows what was his object, for he is the devil

of a priest! If you know nothing more than this news, then why

did you come here, and what do you want?"

"War!" they cried. "What war?" he asked. "War with the

Muscovites!" they shouted, "to fight! Down with the Muscovites!"

The Prussian kept shouting and raising his voice higher and

higher, until he finally obtained a hearing, which he owed partly

to his polite bows, and partly to his shrill and piercing tones.