d. On that point we in a
manner agree with the church people, only we understand it somewhat
differently. Whoever will be happy must enter into the kingdom of
heaven that is open in every human soul; who does not that, is always
dependent on voluntary or purchased service and respect."

Sonnenkamp listened to Eric's quiet enthusiasm with a nod of assent. He
agreed with his ideas, but thought them strangely mixed with an
ecclesiastical asceticism which he merely interpreted into the language
of the world.

While Roland was at the rehearsals of the French play, Eric would often
spend his time at the teachers' club, and was pained to find here also
an aristocracy. The teachers of the higher schools were separated from
those of the primary. Eric was received by many as an old acquaintance,
and found himself followed by the fame he had won at the musical
festival, for the teachers are the chief supporters of vocal music.
They had a private singing club here, and Eric sang with his comrades
more beautifully than ever.

He often stole away from this noisy company and joined the meetings of
the humbler school-teachers, where he seemed to be transplanted to
another planet.

Here sat the serious, earnest men, most of them worn with work,
discussing questions pertaining to their calling, as how best to
influence and guide a child's soul; and out in the world, a soul
trained to the best of human ability was squandering the teacher's
whole long and painful work in a single evening.

If we knew what was to be the result of our labors, we could not live;
the best part of our own ideality is our ignorance of the future, and
our belief in a full completion of our plans.

Eric could not resist telling Herr Sonnenkamp of his evenings in the
school-masters' club, and Sonnenkamp was much interested in his
account. He thought it very fine to have other men cultivate the ideal.

"They are happier than we," he said, as he drank his heavy Burgundy.

On the evening preceding the performance of the French play, Roland, at
his father's bidding, invited all his fellow-actors to a party at the
hotel. The gentlemen came, but none of the ladies except Bella. She
took Sonnenkamp aside, and told him confidentially that he would never
succeed in drawing ladies to his parties, till he had in his house the
Frau Professorin nee von Burgholz. She only half acknowledged to
herself that she should feel a little ashamed to meet, on her return to
the c