pupil. I could not
comprehend the mental as well as physical energy, with which she
devoted herself unceasingly, almost without sleep and refreshments, and
with unwearied zeal to the practice of this art. It was then she
learned composition and gained her master's praise and admiration. It
was not long, however, before she found fault with him, fancying his
execution not sufficiently fiery and enthusiastic, his compositions not
sufficiently original and impassioned. He submitted, and agreed with
her. All men, she used to say, lie constantly in a half-sleeping
state, being almost always, as it were, in a stupor, similar to the
plant which grows, blooms, and is beautiful, diffusing odour, and
possessing powers, without consciousness. What would men accomplish
were they truly awake in their wakeful state? And so she devoted
herself to philosophy, reading works on medicine, anatomy, and other
subjects, which are usually too abstruse and distasteful to her sex.
We, as well as her acquaintance, could not help being astonished at
her. And thus, dear Francis, she will certainly become insane in this
passion of love, and destroy her own peace of mind.

"Elizabeth now also described to me all the extravagances she committed
when she heard of our engagement; at first, she intended to destroy
both herself and sister; then again she said she knew how to conquer
me, so that I should love her and abandon Elizabeth, whom she excelled
both in goodness and intellect.

"I was naturally grieved at this news, feeling full well how
imprudently I had acted in making such friendly advances to Ernestine,
in my endeavours to reconcile her. I was somewhat relieved, when, a
few days afterwards, Elizabeth told me that her sister had apologised
with tears for what she had spoken in anger, that she had conjured her
not to communicate to me any thing of these aberrations, and only
implored her to be allowed to accompany us to our future residence, as
she could not possibly live without the company of her sister and
myself, without our conversation and our music.

"Now plans and preparations were made, and the aunt accompanied us to
the Klausenburg, to celebrate, with a few friends, our nuptials in
quiet, as Elizabeth had always been excessively averse from pomp and
display. I had had a few apartments and the ball-room prepared, as far
as it was possible, the greater part of the castle being in ruins. But
Elizabeth had a poetical predile