igure, a nobler nature, a warmer heart than he
had," continued Topandy. "I admired and loved him, not merely as my
relation, but as the ideal of the young men of the day. The common
knowledge of all kinds of little secrets, such as only young people
understand among themselves, united us more closely in that bond of
friendship which is usually deferred until later days. At that time
there broke out all over Europe those liberal political views, which had
such a fascinating influence generally on young men. Here too there was
an awakening of what is called national feeling; great philosophers even
turned against one another with quite modern opposition in public as
well as in private life. All this made more intimate the relations which
had till then been mere childish habit.

"We were two years at the academy; those two years were passed amidst
enough noise and pleasure. Had we money, we spent it together; had we
none, we starved together. For one another we went empty-handed, for one
another, we fought, and were put in prison. Then we met Sarvoelgyi very
seldom; the academy is a great forest and men are not forced together as
on the benches of a grammar-school.

"Just at the very climax of the French war, the idea struck us to edit a
written newspaper among ourselves."

(Lorand began to listen with still greater interest.)

"We travestied with humorous score in our paper all that the
'Augsburger' delivered with great pathos: those who read laughed at it.

"However, there came an end to our amusement, when one fine day we
received the 'consilium abeundi.'

"I was certainly not very much annoyed. So much transcendental science,
so much knowledge of the world had been driven into me already, that I
longed to go home to the company of the village sexton, who, still
believed that anecdotes and fables were the highest science.

"Only two days were allowed us at Heidelberg to collect our belongings
and say adieu to our so-called 'treasures.' During these two days I only
saw Aronffy twice: once on the morning of the first day, when he came
to me in a state of great excitement, and said, 'I have the scoundrel by
the ear who betrayed us!--If I don't return, follow in my tracks and
avenge me.' I asked him why he did not choose me for his second, but he
replied: 'Because you also are interested and must follow me.' And then
on the evening of the second day he came home again, quite dispirited
and out of sorts! I spoke to hi