d, of
course, come to him only to listen to his oracular sayings; and his
whole manner of speaking had something oracular about it, as he
gesticulated with outstretched hands, as if sowing seed. Eric kept his
temper enough to treat this insolent creature as a singular, natural
phenomenon. He patiently allowed himself to be patronized, and when
Eric had gone, the Head Master said to the Major,--"That young man has
ideas."

It is true, Eric had not expressed any ideas, but he had listened well,
and so was awarded praise for them, which was a great deal from the
Grand Master, who considered that nobody but himself had properly any
ideas; and the whole world ought to come to him to be taught. When Eric
returned to the Major's, he found a messenger, who had come to say that
Clodwig, Bella, and Pranken would come there the next day. Roland had
gone into the court with Fraeulein Milch to admire the young ducks.

The Major now asked on what terms Eric stood with Pranken. Eric could
only answer that Pranken had been very friendly, and considerate, in
his treatment of him.

The Major, who had risen through every grade of the militia from
drummer-boy up, lived in a constant state of resentment against the
haughtiness of his noble-born comrades; he admonished Eric, however, to
conduct himself gratefully towards Pranken, who was really a very
well-mannered fellow, in spite of his noble birth; an obstacle that it
was very hard for the Major to get over. He thought that Pranken
deserved Eric's gratitude for having introduced him into his present
position, and reminded Eric that he had also been the means of his
gaining so valuable a friend as Clodwig.

As Eric and Roland were going towards home, Eric said,--

"Now, Roland, we will show that we do not allow ourselves to be
disturbed; come what will, we will have our studies uninterrupted; we
won't see visitors except in play-hours. You see, Roland, this is one
great difficulty in life. From complaisance towards the world, and from
an unwillingness to appear disobliging and ungracious to our friends,
we often allow our own privacy to be invaded. Against this we must
stand firmly: each must just be something for himself, and then come
out into the world. He who cannot exist for himself may possess the
world, but not himself."

In the consciousness of fulfilling his duty, Eric became again strong
and self-contained, and scattered every disturbing influence far away.