each
coming day would bring its task with it.

It occurred to him now, for the first time, that he had in his
possession some of the property which had been earned in such a way. He
was determined not to retain it. Where should he bestow it? To whom
could he restore it? He knew not, but there was in his soul a certain
fullness of freedom, as he thought, and said aloud to himself,--

"Thou art poor once again, thou hast again nothing but thyself; but
thou hast thyself."

What fortunes had he not experienced in these rooms! how his soul, his
heart had been swayed to and fro with emotion! and to-morrow, within a
few days, is this house to be forsaken, left far behind, a remembrance.

And then?

"Come day, come fate, thou shalt find me ready!"

Eric felt utterly forsaken and robbed of his all; he longed after a
being outside of himself, to clasp him in her arms, and say to him:
Thou art at home, thou art at home, thou art with me. He trembled when
he thought: How would it be if Bella should see me? And his cheeks
began to glow, for he thought to himself thus: No, Manna, thou alone
thou shalt never know, 'twill be better for thee and for me. And how?
Should I call thee mine, and bear with thee the burden of this horrid
wealth? Wealth! Thou wouldst not be in my way; I have pride enough. But
no, it shall be put to death before it has time to live; never shall it
cross these lips.

He held his hand for some time pressed against his mouth. At last,
shutting his eyes, he said half aloud:--

"Good-night, Roland."

When he woke up--and his first thought was, "How is Roland this
morning?"--he heard the church-bells ringing. He left the house and
would have gone to his mother's, but he dreaded meeting her, for the
remembrance of what Weidmann had imparted to him was reviving in his
breast, as if he were listening to it now for the first time. He raised
his eyes to heaven and said to himself: O sun, what bringest thou new
today?

And wonderful! In the midst of all his forlornness, in the midst of all
his sorrow, there came upon him suddenly, as if he were standing on the
threshold of fortune, something unspeakable, something undiscernible,
and, no one could tell whence it was sent.

The bells were still ringing. There is yet something calling upon men,
upon every one, and every one may listen to and follow after it,
wherefore not also thou? He did not like to be wandering about in
aimless dissipation of thought. "The w