uddenly shut the book with a bang when he
came to the place where his faithless love was married, who knows--

At all events, Wilhelm had not smiled once; his eyes even showed signs
of tears. Schrotter took the book into the other room, and when he came
back every trace of emotion in look and manner had vanished.

"So you see," he began, "a sensible boy like I am has behaved like an
ass in the past. But I did not shoot myself after all, that was so far
good, and I am ashamed to tell you how soon I got over it. I often go
past her shop in Unter den Linden, and see her through the window
beyond all her brilliants and precious stones. She is still very
pretty, and seems happy, much happier no doubt than if she had been
with me. She would certainly not recognize me now, and I can look at
her and my heart beats no whit the faster. Dwell on my example."

"I am not sure that you are not slandering yourself."

"You can feel easy about that," said Schrotter earnestly. "The
disenchantment was quick and complete, and very naturally so. Just get
Schopenhauer's 'objectivity' out of your head; I don't believe in
Plato's theory of the soul divided into two halves which are forever
trying to join again. Every sane man has ten thousand objects which are
able to awaken and return his love. All he has to do is not to go out
of their way."

"Ought not there to be an individual one?"

"I venture to say no. The story of the pine trees of Ritter Toggenburg,
which love the palm trees, is the creation of a sentimental poet.
Lawgivers in India to all appearance believe in faithfulness unto
death; and the widow or even the betrothed follows her husband to the
grave of her own free will. This free-will offering only comes,
however, by aid of the sharpest threatening of punishment. I have known
fourteen-year-old widows who offered themselves miserably to be burned.
If they had known how soon they would be consoled, and new love sprang
up, they would have violently resisted such suicide! Bhani there is a
living example of this,"

As she heard her name she looked up, and Wilhelm intercepted a look
between her and Dr. Schrotter, which all at once made clear to him what
he had vaguely suspected before. He turned his head sadly toward the
window, and looked out into the foggy autumn evening. He felt almost as
if he had committed a crime, in having discovered a secret which had
not been freely revealed to him.

CHAPTER V.

A LAY SERMON.