as I am to her; and the
fact that I am so, out of regard to Clodwig, is no excuse. No one has
such a bad effect upon me as this Frau Bella; she makes a hypocrite of
me, and she kindles in me such a passion for destruction as I had not
thought myself capable of. She is a quack doctress. If I prescribe a
medicine, she always knows beforehand what I am going to prescribe.
Medicinally I have pretty much broken down her pretensions, but
intellectually she has more than ever. She has family medicines and
figures of speech at her tongue's end, as if she had been a deep
student, whereas the root of her whole nature is want of reverence, an
impertinent meddling with every subject; for everything is a vain show
to her mind; she has no respect even for herself, knowing that she is
herself nothing but a vain show. One deep-rooted trait in her is
ingratitude. Come what may to her, she will still be ungrateful. If you
want to see the exact opposite to Bella, look at the Major, who is
grateful for everything, even for the very air he breathes. That old
child of a Major is seventy years old, and has not yet lost faith in
human goodness. If the devil incarnate were to appear, he would find
something good in him; but this Bella is without principle. A man may
be evil-minded, and yet have strength and active powers left for the
world's service; but an evil-minded woman is wholly evil and only evil.
Do you know who would be a fit mate for Frau Bella?"

"I know nothing about it," cried Eric in despair; he felt as if he must
jump out of the wagon.

"The only man who would do for her, the only man capable of subduing
and governing this whole menagerie which bears the name of Bella, is
Herr Sonnenkamp; in fact, there is a secret sympathy between them."

Eric was glad he could laugh; but the Doctor continued:--

"I am a heretic, my young friend; I believe that woman is an inferior
variety in the human race. A man can never be so bad as a woman, can
never be so hypocritical. For the latter quality, to be sure, women are
not responsible, having been taught from childhood that the world cares
only for appearances. But the main defect is, that they have no broad
humanity; they, do not go down to the first principles from which all
things start; they regard everything as being sewed and colored, in the
same way that their hats and mantillas are by the mantuamakers. On the
other hand, they stand under the curse of the beasts: they cannot
heartil