not recall it. She had lost that for which
she had been ready to sacrifice her life, for the church, to which she
had been ready to give herself, had done nothing towards destroying
this monstrous evil.

She felt inclined henceforth to avoid the Professor; but that would
have been unjust. What had he done except honestly to tell her his
convictions?

A feeling of attachment led her still to devote much of her time to
him, but both avoided any discussion upon matters of religion; only
Manna would sometimes look up at him with wondering eyes, when he would
quote, from heathen writings, sayings which she had been taught to
consider the exclusive property of the church.

A wide horizon opened before her eyes, in which the different religions
seemed only so many promontories, and this unassuming, delicately
organized man seemed a type of the human individual, who had received
into himself and harmonized all contradiction. She saw Eric's reverence
for the Professor, his childlike deference, his respectful attention,
the submission which he every hour displayed towards him. She watched
Eric closely. It surprised her that this man of strongly marked
individuality should be capable of such humble veneration for another.

Professor Einsiedel was often accompanied also by a little dried-up old
man of most humble exterior, who always withdrew at Manna's approach,
as if he felt himself unworthy to intrude upon the society of men.

Professor Einsiedel once told Manna the history of this companion of
his. They had been school-fellows together, and this man was early
taken from his studies on account of the death of his father, and the
necessity of providing for his brothers and sisters. He became
book-keeper in a great banking house, by which he earned enough not
only to support a widowed sister and her children, but managed, by
practising the strictest economy, to lay by a considerable sum.

One night, on returning from the theatre, he found that his nephew had
broken open his desk, stolen his whole property, and escaped with it to
America. Without telling any one of the robbery--for how could he give
up to justice his sister's son?--he began anew to spare and to save,
and thus sacrificed his life for that of another.

Professor Einsiedel had no idea what a deep impression this simple
history made upon Manna,--this story of silent, unobtrusive
self-sacrifice.

One subject upon which Manna and Einsiedel could converse with pe