He then turned to go, when the thought suddenly occurred to him,
that he ought also to watch it; he was on the point of locking the
room, when he remembered, that Eric had ordered him to wait for his
coming. He stood there, while everything seemed to be whirling around.
What had happened?

Suddenly Pranken came in to bid him good-bye. He congratulated Roland
upon his speedy deliverance from Eric. Then only did he realize what
had happened, and what was to follow. Pranken referred slightingly to
Eric, as to a man to whom he might make certain concessions from sheer
pity. Merrily he bade Roland farewell. After he had gone. Roland felt
that he could no longer have any love for Pranken, and realized a sense
of loss; he quietly remained standing at the table, looking down upon
the money before him. In a childlike way he began to count the sum
Eric had received. For what length of time had he received it? He could
not make it out, and turned angrily aside to look out of the window.
Behind him on the table lay the money; he felt as if somebody near him
were whispering all the time: Forget me not!

Meanwhile Eric was still in the room with Sonnenkamp, who, with an air
of great astonishment, said,--

"You are wantonly destroying all attachment between us."

Eric replied, that he might perhaps have chosen a more appropriate
time, and that nothing but the manner in which he had been paid had
compelled him to act as he had done.

"Have I hurt your feelings?"

"I am not very sensitive. I appreciate money as far as it deserves to
appreciated and am always pleased at receiving my honest wages. I am
inclined to think that I love your son more than--no matter! there is
no standard to measure love by,--it can only be measured by itself."

"I am obliged to you."

"I beg your pardon, sir; allow me to finish my sentence. Just because I
love your son, I prefer to have the blame fall upon me rather than upon
his father."

"Upon me?"

"Yes, sir. I might have paid you back for the way in which you paid me
off in my pupil's presence; I might have told you that free labor--I
abstain from using the word love, and simply confine myself to refer to
such work as one man will do freely for another--can never be paid. I
suppressed my feelings, because I wished that your son should love and
respect you more than he does other people, than even myself."

Sonnenkamp clenched his fists. He stared at Eric for awhile, but soon
looked down; he