the universal, of the purely ideal,
than they did of the personal; in her, this proceeded from the
religious, and in him, from the philosophical element. In the
beginning, Manna had held herself aloof from him with a sort of
defiance, even with a positive antagonism; but gradually she came to
perceive the inviolable truthfulness of his whole being. When Pranken
was engaged in argument, he asserted what he had to say as if it were
incontrovertible; while Eric, on the other hand, often replied:--

"I should like to be allowed first to state the question; for the best
thing we can do in order to arrive at some actual result, is, to state
the question sharply and definitely." "And," he added, laughing, "the
old philosopher, Epictetus, has designated 'asking the right questions
and exercising forbearance' as the very essence of philosophy."

"Who is Epictetus?" Manna would ask; and while Eric briefly gave an
account of the life of this stoic, a slave, who had become a
philosopher and taught after the manner of Socrates, adding some
reflections of his own. Manna was alarmed to see how fully she agreed
with him; her gods were different, but their devotional spirit was the
same.

Pranken was jealous when he saw Manna deeply interested in Eric's
expositions, and often tried to make him expose his heretical
sentiments, so that he might become abhorrent to Manna.

There was frequently a sort of tournament in which they took part, and
Manna sat, as it were, upon a dais to crown the victor. In such a state
of feeling, if easily happens that insignificant circumstances become
the starting point of a life and death contest. And this was the case
one day, when Pranken related in a merry way that to-day was a bona
fide pilgrimage of the whole country to the railroad station, for they
were expecting, by the evening train, the list of those who had drawn
prizes in the Cathedral lottery; and all the poor people, the servants,
male and female, the vine-dressers, the quarrymen, and the boatmen,
were each one of them hoping to get the first prize. Manna had it on
her lips to say that she had given money to Claus in order to redeem
his ticket, but, before she could do it, Eric, unable to restrain
himself, cried out:--

"This lottery is an atrocity, a disgrace to our age."

"What's that? What do you say?"

"I beg your pardon, I was hasty," said Eric, trying to divert the
subject.

But Manna asked:--

"May we not know what your obje