may I venture to remark that your
criticism is hard, and perhaps not altogether well founded? A system of
government passes--the people remain. In its inner depths it is
untouched by official corruption, and you yourself acknowledge that the
aggressive boasters only formed a small part of our youth. I am not
uneasy for the future of my country."

"You may be right," returned Schrotter, grown calmer meanwhile, and
standing still in front of Wilhelm. "But the present is gloomy, that is
very certain. But enough of this. I came to cheer you, and have instead
lightened my own heart. It was overflowing, and I have no one in Berlin
to whom I can unburden myself. You see, I must have you near me. So
write your petition, and if it is not accepted, why then--then we will
go together to Switzerland or America, and love our country from afar,
and without any admixture of bitterness, just as I did in India."

In face of this deep and unselfish concern over the condition of the
commonalty which trembled in Schrotter's voice and spoke from his
gloomy blue eyes, Wilhelm felt half ashamed of having made so much of
his own small troubles. He declared himself willing to send in the
petition, and for the first time for weeks he was able to think of
something else than Pilar and his dealings with regard to her.

Schrotter stayed for a few days, which he passed almost exclusively
with Wilhelm and Paul. All three felt themselves younger by ten years
in this renewal of their intimacy, and Paul said more than once, "Would
it not be splendid, Herr Doctor, if you two would buy some property
near me? Then, in the summer months at any rate, we could all live
together, so to speak. I am quite convinced that that would be a sure
way of keeping ourselves young forever." Schrotter smiled at this
proposal. All he wanted was to have Wilhelm near him once more. In the
meantime, Bhani, his patients, his poor, recalled him to Berlin, and he
left in hope that Wilhelm might be able to follow him ere long.

Schrotter lost no time. He did his utmost to persuade influential
people to exert themselves on Wilhelm's behalf, but the difficulties
were greater than he had imagined. Wilhelm was in very bad odor with
the police authorities, who would not believe that he was not a
Socialist, and that he did not afford that party valuable support in
the shape of money.

Some three weeks after Schrotter's visit to Hamburg another letter came
from Auguste. He was surpr