"When? Just now, sir! just now! And I trust these conclusions are worth considering, in spite of that. But I discovered something else; you are an ignoramus; you can't spell! Look at this! What's written here? Read it! 'We hope that all those who will have to go through their drill next year....' Is it possible? 'Who ... next year....'"
"Well, that's quite right," said Falk.
"Right? How dare you say it's right? It's customary to say who in the next year, and consequently it should also be written in this form."
"That's right, too; definitions of time govern either the accusative or...."
"None of your learned palaver! Don't talk nonsense to me! Besides this you spell ex-ercise with an x only, although it should be spelt ex-sercise. Don't make excuses—is it ex-ercise or ex-sercise?"
"Of course people say...."
"People say—therefore ex-sercise is right; the customary pronunciation must be correct. Perhaps, all things considered, I'm a fool? Perhaps I can't spell correctly? But enough, now! Get to work and another time pay a little more attention to the clock."
He jumped up from his chair with a yell, and boxed the ears of the printer's boy.
"Are you sleeping in bright daylight, you young scamp? I'll teach you to keep awake. You are not yet too old for a thrashing."
He seized the victim by the braces, threw him on a pile of unsold papers, and beat him with his belt.