l honour, and I
forgot the situation in which we are. Of course, I had no intention of
insulting you."

"There is some truth in what you say," replied Heideck, seriously,
"but allow me to explain. Our German fatherland, in past centuries, was
always the theatre of the battles of all the peoples of Europe. At that
time few of the German princes were conscious of any German national
feeling; they were the representatives of narrow-minded dynastic
interests. Thus our German people grew up without the consciousness of
a great and common fatherland. Our German self-consciousness is no older
than Bismarck. But we have become large-hearted, generous-minded, by
having had to submit to foreign peoples and customs. Our religious
feeling and our patriotism are of wider scope than those of others.
Hence, I believe that, now that we have been for a generation occupied
with our material strength and are politically united, our universal
culture summons us to undertake the further development of civilisation,
which hitherto has been chiefly indebted to the French and English."

The old gentleman did not answer at once. He sat immersed in thought,
and a considerable time elapsed before he spoke.

"Anyone can keep raising the standpoint of his view of things. It is
like ascending the mountains there. From each higher range the view
becomes more comprehensive, while the details of the panorama gradually
disappear. Naturally, to one looking down from so lofty a standpoint,
all political interests shrivel up to insignificant nothings, and then
patriotism no longer exists. But I think that we are first of all bound
to work in the sphere in which we have once been placed. A man who
neglects his wife and children in the desire to benefit the world by his
ideas, neglects the narrowest sphere of his duties. But in that case the
welfare of his own people, of his own state, must be for every man the
highest objects of his efforts; then only, starting from his own nation,
may his wishes have a higher aim. I cannot respect anyone who abandons
the soil of patriotism in order to waste his time on visionary schemes
in the domain of politics, to wax enthusiastic over universal peace and
to call all men brothers."

"And yet," said Edith, "this is the doctrine of Christianity."

"Of theoretical, not practical Christianity," eagerly rejoined the
Englishman. "I esteem the old Roman Cato, who took his life when he saw
his country's freedom disappearing