Rector François sat in a weary, melancholy mood in his big office between the busts of Voltaire and Frederick the Great. Of the spirit of Voltaire there was no longer any trace in Queen Louise School, and of the spirit of Frederick the Great only its worst side. It was seldom now that any of his assistant masters dared to make open profession of the liberalism that had formerly been the most admirable feature of his school. There was no longer any talk of the possibility of Vogelsang being replaced. On the contrary, François had to look on with folded hands while that man ruined the pliant
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