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MAGDALEN
205

table cloth from the edge of the table—“the Old-Čech comes,—tries it, pulls it, twists it, but the corner does not budge. That corner, notice, is Vienna’s good will. The Old-Čech sits down peacefully, and with his nails scratches off a few splinters, and is quiet. The Young-Čech comes, takes a look at it,—the corner is immovable,—so he bangs at it with his fist, until the corner falls into his lap. That is the distinction.”

Saying this, the trusty man banged upon the corner of the table.

As if overhearing the sigh of relief which alderman Vrzal breathed, the trusty man continued with importance to discuss the opposition of the Croatians and that of the Irish. He colored his speech with much humor and many witticisms, which Bismarck and Napoleon had used before him. In places he wove in a whole anecdote, which was very entertaining, though it had nothing to do with the purpose at hand. After an effective sentence (the trusty man wanted