52 FATAL PROMENADE. 



siclerably my seniors, followed my example without 

 exception. No one dreamt for a moment of doing 

 anything wrong. Each thought it only common honesty 

 openly to avow his conviction. 



But great was my alarm when at breakfast on 

 the following morning I happened to glance at the 

 Vossische Zeitung, and found a leading article entitled 

 "Protest against Reaction and Religious Cant (Mucker- 

 thum)'\ and at the head of the subscribed names my 

 own followed by those of my comrades. 



When soon after half an hour before the com- 

 mencement of work I appeared in the laboratory 

 yard I found my comrades all assembled in a state of 

 great excitement. We feared we had committed a 

 grave military offence. In this supposition we were 

 soon strengthened by the appearance of the com- 

 mander of the workshops, an excellent and extremely 

 amiable man. who declared to us in great excitement 

 that we had by this action all ruined ourselves and 

 him likewise. 



Some anxious days passed. Then the announce- 

 ment arrived that the inspector of the workshops, 

 General von Jenichen. had to communicate to us an 

 order in council. The order in council reprehended 

 us indeed very severely, but was more gracious than 

 we had ventured to hope. The general addressed 

 us in a long speech, in which he set before us the 

 impropriety and blameworthiness of our conduct. 

 I was awaiting with some curiosity the conclusion 

 of this speech, as I had taken the waters at Kissingen 



