oo much imagination; there is an element of weakness in
it, and the boys have inherited their share from both families. A very
sorrowful occurrence took place here about a fortnight since. A little
playfellow was drowned in the fish-pond. What the boys have made out of
this--of course, with Stina's aid--is positively incredible. I was
thinking about it to-day. I have not said anything, for after all it was
extremely amusing, and I did not want to spoil their intercourse with
Stina. But, indeed, it is most absurd. See here, Amalie, it would almost
be better to send them away to school than to let them run wild in this
way and get into all kinds of nonsense."

His wife made no reply.

I wanted to divert his attention, and inquired if he had read Spencer's
"Essay on Education."

Then he became animated! He had just settled himself to eat, but now he
forgot to do so; he took a few bites and forgot again. Indeed, I should
judge we sat over this one course a whole hour, while he expatiated on
Spencer. That I who had asked if he had read the book in all probability
had read it myself, did not trouble him in the least. He gave me a
synopsis of the book, often point after point, with his own comments.
One of these was that even if as Spencer desires, pedagogics was
introduced into every school, as one of its most important
branches--most people would nevertheless lack the ability to bring up
their own children; for teaching is a talent which but few possess. He
for his part proposed to send the boys, as soon as they were old enough,
to a lady whom he knew to possess this talent and who also had the
indispensable knowledge. She was an enthusiastic disciple of Spencer.

He spoke as though this were a matter long since decided upon; his wife
listened as though it were an old decision. I was much surprised that
she had not told me of it when we were talking about the children a
little while before.

I do not now remember what theme we were drifting into when Atlung
suddenly looked at his watch.

"I had entirely forgotten Hartmann! I should have been in town! Yes,
yes--it is not yet too late! Excuse me!"

He threw down his napkin, drank one more glass of wine, rose and left
the room. His wife explained apologetically that Hartmann was his
attorney; that unfortunately there was no telegraphic communication
between the gard and the town, and that unquestionably there was some
business that must be settled within an hour or ther