uades
himself that men in lower conditions have the same susceptibilities
that we have."

"I thank you," replied Eric, "for this straightforward plainness of
speech, and I am glad that you have given me the opportunity to tell
you that I have endeavored to make Roland good-hearted, but not
weak-hearted. He is to comprehend the goodly advantages of his life, so
that he may receive and make his own the noblest and the highest; he is
to be a noble administrator of the grand power that is to be put into
his hands."

Eric unfolded this more in detail, and Sonnenkamp, extending his hand
to him, said,--

"You are--you are--a noble man, you have also to be my educator. Forget
what has happened. I trust you now, unconditionally. I confide in you,
that you will not alienate from me the heart of my child, that you will
not make him a soft-hearted helper of everybody, and everything."

Sonnenkamp jerked these words out forcibly, for he inwardly chafed,
that this man, whom he wanted to humble, had humbled him, so that he
was compelled to stand before him like a beggar, entreating a stranger
not to alienate from him the heart of his child.

"Why,"--he at last began again, "I pray you, I only ask for
information, for I am convinced that you have good grounds for every
such step,"--a spiteful glance, notwithstanding all his guarded
discretion, gleamed forth at this question--"I only ask for
information, why you have restrained Roland from making a free use of
his purse, as, since my return, I have been informed is the case."

"I cannot give definite reasons for all my doings, but I have a valid
one for this. Roland lavishes and squanders money, and he does it
ignorantly and wantonly, while I consider the control of money a part
of self-control."

And now Eric informed Sonnenkamp what an impression the robbery had
made upon Roland. Exultantly Sonnenkamp cried out:--

"I am rejoiced that he has found out so early how completely one is
surrounded in the world by knaves; he will be cautious whenever he
comes to manage his own affairs. Yes, Herr Philosopher, write down in
your books: The one trait in which man surpasses the brutes is, that
man is the only animal who can dissemble and can lie. And the sooner
and the more perfectly my son can know that fact, so much the better am
I pleased. I should be very glad if Roland had been through the second
grade of schools."

"The second grade?"

"Yes; the first is, to bestow benefits