-morrow at furthest. Vater-chen was tired, and
could not come on. It was _I_ who left them; I, in my impatience and
ill-humor. The old man doubtless knew nothing of the purse confided to
the girl, nor is it at all needful that he should. They will certainly
follow me, and why, for the mere inconvenience of an hour or two, should
I persist in seeing the whole world so crape-covered and sad-looking?
Surely this is not the philosophy my knowledge of life has taught me. I
ought to know and feel that these daily accidents are but stones on
the road one travels. They may, perchance, wound the foot or damage
the shoe, but they rarely delay the journey, if the traveller be not
faint-hearted and craven. I will treat the whole incident in a higher
spirit. I will wait for their coming in that tranquil and assured
condition of mind which is the ripe fruit of a real insight into
mankind. Pitt said, after long years of experience, that there was more
of good than of bad in human nature. Let it be the remark of some future
biographer that Potts agreed with him."

When I got back to the inn, I was somewhat puzzled what to do. It would
have been impossible with any success to have resumed my former tone
of command, and for the life of me I could not bring myself down to
anything like entreaty. While I thus stood, uncertain how to act, the
old waiter approached me, almost courteously, and said my room was ready
for me when I wished it.

"I will first of all wait upon the traveller in No. 8," said L

"He has retired for the night," was the answer. "He seems in very
delicate health, and the fatigue of the journey has overcome him."

"To-morrow will do, then," said I easily; and not venturing upon an
inquiry as to the means by which my room was at my disposal, I took my
candle and mounted the stairs.

As I lay down in my bed, I resolved I would take a calm survey of my
past life: what I had done, what I had failed to do, what were the guiding
principles which directed me, and whither they were likely to bear me.
But scarcely had I administered to myself the preliminary oath to tell
nothing but the truth, than I fell off sound asleep.

My first waking thought the next morning was to inquire if two persons
had arrived in search of me--an elderly man and a young woman. I
described them. None such had been seen. "They will have sought shelter
in some of the humbler inns," thought I; "I'll up and look after
them." I searched the town from