legraph wire toward
the _West_, we shall in a few hours reach the spot where your heart
dwells, though your mind, even if not in its most brilliant mood, may
be beside me."

"Pray leave my insignificant self entirely out of the question. The
matter under discussion is what's best for you, and with all due
deference to Frau Leah's worldly wisdom, I think she made a mistake
this time."

"Do you think so too?" cried Edwin with beaming eyes. "Well, my
Socratic fiend has been saying the same thing, but the habit of
respecting superior wisdom--no, I'll emancipate myself, I frankly
declare that this distasteful bodily exercise, while the soul remains
immovable in one spot, is unworthy of a sensible man and does more harm
than good; in a word, I absolve you from the painful duty of acting as
bear leader, and will go back at full speed, until I see the smoke of
my own chimney."

"Stop," exclaimed Mohr, throwing his cigarette over the precipice.
"Praiseworthy as this hasty resolution appears, for this day you belong
to me; in the first place, because it will be salutary for your wife to
do without you again for a whole day, and secondly, because neither at
my home, nor during these last few days of travel, have we said
anything about your work. That book my friend, must eventually be
written. I should like to know how far you have progressed with the
system, or whether the old step-mother, Mathematics, has so maltreated
the tender little soul. Psychology, which cannot live without fancy,
that we must despair of its attaining any further growth. Who
knows when we shall see each other again. That we shall not write
very frequently is unfortunately more than probable, and besides,
now-a-days, letters contain nothing of any real importance. So be kind
enough to sit down beside me again and submit to an examination. Or
still better, let us drag ourselves to the next village, breakfast, and
then begin."

They did so. Mohr was well aware that next to the gentle but powerful
magic of Leah's presence, nothing could be so soothing to his friend's
agitated soul, as to resolve to do what in his modesty he had always
deferred, collect the work of the last few years in a large volume.
Now, for the first time, while sketching the outlines to his
sympathizing listener, Edwin felt that nothing essential was really
lacking, that he only needed to go to work with a firm purpose and a
good heart. Heinrich encouraged him in his resolve in every