oy sat upon an overturned antique
column, his hand upon the head of a splendid Newfoundland dog, and
gazing into the distance.

A large arm-chest stood here with weapons of all sorts.

While Eric was looking about, Sonnenkamp shoved back two doors which
were let into the walls, and he led the way into what he called his
library. No books were to be seen, nothing but great boxes, vessels of
porcelain and clay, as in a well-arranged apothecary's shop; and
Sonnenkamp explained that these contained seeds from all the different
parts of the earth.

From the seed-room a special stair-case led into the garden, and this
stair-case was entirely grown over with the Chinese honeysuckle, which
was now in full bloom with its clusters of blue papilionaceous flowers.
Sonnenkamp conducted his guest back into the large work-room, and there
said that it had, formerly, been his desire that Roland should have an
inclination to enter upon the active life which he himself had now
retired from. He spoke of trade. Eric was amazed at the vast,
comprehensive glance which Sonnenkamp took of the business of the
world: for him there was no isolated activity, no isolated product; one
part of the world subsisted only through another; and the whole earth
was for him one great market-place, where iron, wool, tobacco, and
grain received his attention at the same time, and whether in Sweden,
Scotland, the East Indies, or Havana, were brought to one common
warehouse.

Sonnenkamp seemed to be desirous, today, to compensate Eric for his
unreserved communication, and Eric was astonished at the broad and
strong grasp of the man's view, so that all his schemes were well
calculated and sure of success; this vast power of insight was visible
in all his talk. He had seen the wide world with that keen-sightedness
characteristic of the English and Americans, who, of all nations,
consume the smallest number of spectacles. He seized hold of the main
features, without burdening himself with the incidental, and without
being hindered by any afterthought; he described with great objectivity
what he had seen in foreign lands, as well as what he had done in his
own.

Sonnenkamp was well aware of the impression he had made upon Eric, and
nodded, smiling, when the latter expressed his opinion how grand it
must be not only to possess, but also to acquire and to be.

"Reflect seriously upon this," Sonnenkamp said,--"what would you make,
and what am I to make, of Rolan