why you are sent here?"

"Sent here?"

"Yes."

"Herr Sonnenkamp wants to establish friendly relations with you, and I
myself have wished for some time----"

"Good. The best spy is often the one who doesn't know that he has to be
a spy, who looks on innocently and reports innocently."

"I don't understand."

"Take my word for it, Herr Sonnenkamp didn't for a moment think of
coming to our house, especially as he does not yet know when Dr. Fritz
leaves; his pretending to you that he was called away was quite
harmless. Send a messenger, and he will send you word with his regrets
that he cannot come himself, but will send the carriage. Ah! my young
friend, there is no pleasure in following up the trail of the beast of
prey in man. But first of all, one question. Do you know how Herr
Sonnenkamp comes on in his endeavors to get a title?"

"No."

"Do you know that I have hit upon means to be relied on of forming an
opinion of Herr Sonnenkamp's deserts?"

Eric expressed his ignorance, and Weidmann continued:----

"I have told you that the groom who blows the trumpet was once a
convict. I have still another convict that I keep on an out of the way
part of the estate, for he doesn't do well, not so much from an evil
disposition, as from a spirit of braggadocio when he is amongst men.
You see then that I do not reject men of criminal antecedents; for
pride in our own virtue is very weak-kneed. It is, at the best, only
good luck if we, by teaching and example, and with the means of
subsistence assured to us, do not burden ourselves with many an
ill deed that we cannot blot out. Of course, a long-continued,
closely-calculating occupation, revolting to every feeling of
humanity--but as I said, I will put no obstacle in Herr Sonnenkamp's
way, only it is incomprehensible to me that he should seek to be
ennobled, and in that way voluntarily challenge inquiry into his
antecedents. If, as my friend Wolfsgarten says, you have great
influence over Herr Sonnenkamp, advise him to give this thing up."

Eric held his hand before his eyes; his eye was burning, he strove to
speak, but could not.

Weidmann, who misapprehended this emotion, said in a mild tone:--

"I admire your power, in having been able, as Herr Knopf informed me,
and as I myself see, to bring an atmosphere of noble feeling into this
family, to hold your pupil in the path of innocence, and to naturalize
him in all that is good. If this boy should one day learn--