FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108  
109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   >>   >|  
"You wrong him," replied Edwin. "Fire and water are two equally stern elements, although one accomplishes by heat what the other does by cold:--destroys and vivifies like every power." "Hm! If you don't freeze meantime--Farewell." "And where are you going to spend the night?" asked Balder. "There are plenty of benches in the Thiergarten." "I wouldn't let you go, Franzel," whispered Balder, as he reached the threshold. "You have already camped here many a night. But--Edwin sleeps so badly now. The least thing disturbs his nerves." "Thank you, Balder. Don't be anxious about me. Good night!" They heard him go down stairs, and directly after Mohr came slowly up. He entered the room with a face deeply flushed, but apparently calm. "Our philanthropist has gone," said he. "I believe I drove him away. I'm sorry; he thinks I don't like him and he's very much mistaken. On the contrary, I do him the honor to envy him." "For what?" "Because he's possessed, not only with his mania about persecution, which makes a man just as happy as if he believes himself an unappreciated genius, but because he has a demon that drives him about, speaks from his lips, hides within him, and keeps him warm--while I, a mere husk without kernel or substance--foh!" "And our artist?" asked Edwin after a pause. "Did she not wish to enjoy either the honor or the pleasure?" "It's late," replied Mohr, looking at his watch, "too late to open a second bottle, I'll seek my virgin couch." "He evades us," laughed Edwin, turning to Balder. "She has disappointed his expectations. Ah! Heinz, I could have told you that before; this muse is not a beauty. Her fingers promise more than her features give." "Talk about what you understand. Philosopher," replied Mohr, seizing his hat. "Let her be what she likes and look as she chooses: she's a whole hearted woman." "Did you receive satisfactory proofs of that in three minutes?" "Probably. At least it's a fresh proof that I can accomplish nothing whole, and even in a stupid prank don't go beyond the most pitiful half-way measures. It's actually crushing. I wish you a good nights' rest----" When he had gone and the brothers were at last alone, Edwin confessed his day's adventures. Balder too might have had many things to tell, but not a word in relation to the birthday festival crossed his lips. And yet he was secretly reproaching himself for having a secret from his brother. This night
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108  
109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Balder
 

replied

 

understand

 
beauty
 

fingers

 

promise

 

features

 

virgin

 

bottle

 

pleasure


artist

 
expectations
 

disappointed

 
turning
 
evades
 

laughed

 

confessed

 

adventures

 

things

 

crushing


nights

 

brothers

 

reproaching

 

secret

 

brother

 
secretly
 

birthday

 

relation

 

festival

 

crossed


measures

 

satisfactory

 
receive
 

proofs

 

substance

 

Probably

 

minutes

 

hearted

 

seizing

 

chooses


pitiful
 
stupid
 

accomplish

 

Philosopher

 

threshold

 
camped
 

sleeps

 
reached
 
whispered
 

Thiergarten