on America; the emigrating Huguenots, established among
a people already civilized, were obliged to adopt the social cultus of
their new fatherland. Permit me, Herr Sonnenkamp, to take you as an
example."

"Me? what do you mean?"

"You emigrated to America as a German, and the German emigrants in the
New World become assimilated to their adopted home, and their children
are completely American."

Roland's eye glistened, but whether it was that Pranken felt himself
cast in the shade by Eric, or that he endeavored to embarrass him as
much as possible, he exclaimed, with an odd mingling of humor and
pity,--

"It is very modest in you to place the Huguenots, who almost all
belonged to the gentry, in the same category with the Jews."

"I regard it as a matter of no consequence," Eric replied, "whether my
ancestors belonged to the gentry or not; they were engaged in the
common occupations of business and trade, and my immediate ancestors
were goldsmiths. The resemblance of the Jews with the Huguenots,
however, I must maintain. Every community exiled on account of its
religion, and scattered abroad, incurs thereby a double obligation:
first, to keep in view, over and above all nationality, the oneness of
humanity; and second, to contend against all fanaticism and all
exclusiveness. There is no one religion in which alone salvation is to
be found, and no one nationality comprising in itself all excellence."

Pranken and Fraeulein Perini looked at each other in astonishment. Frau
Ceres was at a loss to comprehend what all this meant, and Sonnenkamp
shook his head over this sermon-like style of his guest, who
intermingled his world-wide historical views with the light table-talk;
and yet he could not get rid of the impression that there was before
him a nature that had its permanent abode in the region of pure
thought.

"You must unfold that to me yet more definitely at some other time," he
said, seeking to divert the conversation.

And Roland said:--

"Louis the fourteenth, who exiled your ancestors, is he the one who
destroyed the castles here on the Rhine?"

"The same."

It seemed difficult to draw the conversation away from a subject which
made it drag heavily, but it was suddenly diverted, for just then a
highly seasoned dish was brought in, of which Roland desired to eat.
His father would not permit it. His mother, perceiving it, cried out in
a shrill voice, "Do let him eat what he likes."

A glance from Er