How does M. Waldman react when he hears the names of Agrippa and Paracelsus?

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the title character, Victor Frankenstein, begins his studies at the university in Ingolstadt at the age of seventeen. There, he meets two professors of natural philosophy: M. Krempe and M. Waldman.
M. Waldman's reaction to the names of Agrippa and Paracelsus contrasts significantly to that of M. Krempe's. M. Waldman smiles in a friendly way when Victor mentions these names, while M. Krempe scolds Victor disdainfully. Because M. Krempe mocks Victor for his interest in these ancient alchemists, it is possible that Victor takes interprets M. Waldman's seemingly-positive reaction to the names of Agrippa and Paracelsus to heart. Victor wants his interest in these old studies to be taken seriously, so when M. Waldman smiles in a friendly way, reflecting perhaps a kinder and more tolerant temperament than his colleague's, Victor interprets this smile as approval. From this point onwards, Victor pursues his dream, eventually succeeding and inflicting violence and terror on himself and his family members, as well as other members of society who come into contact with the creature.

When Professor Waldman hears the names of Paracelsus and Agrippa, he does not respond with the same contempt Victor met with when he uttered these names in front of Professor Krempe. Waldman, instead, declares that modern scientists are, in fact, indebted to these men because their "indefatigable zeal" helped to lay the foundation of the sciences. Waldman believes that the work of men like Paracelsus and Agrippa, those scientists who came first, paved the way for modern scientists, making their road an easier one to follow. Finally, he claims that,

The labours of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind.

In other words, even if these early scientists made egregious errors and mistakes which, in Waldman's day, may seem ridiculous, they still helped to further the field and work toward the betterment of humanity. He feels that all such labor has value because it almost always helps us along.