n, and the Banker began,--

"I believe it is Jean Paul who said,--If you come into a new
dwelling-place, and it does not seem homelike to you, then go to work
and you will begin to feel at home. I should like to extend this
further. One feels at home in the world only through labor; he who does
not work is homeless."

The conversation was again interrupted by the entrance of the Russian
prince, Weidmann's son, and Knopf. The subject was again stated.

"We have a good council of deliberation," said Weidmann, sitting back
in his chair. "You have all seen the noble-looking youth, Herr
Sonnenkamp's son, and Captain Dournay has trained him so that now, we
might say, he is fitted to enter upon whatever calling he may adopt.
What now shall the boy do?"

"Allow me one preliminary question," interposed Knopf. "Must a rich man
produce, accomplish anything himself? Is it not his task to further the
production, the doing of others, whether art, science, industry, or
labor, and to make himself so far familiar with it as to give such
aid?"

"You wanted to answer something." Weidmann pointed to the Banker, whose
features were very expressive, and who seemed to have a remark on his
lips.

"Not exactly answer," responded the Banker. "I wanted, first of all, to
distinguish between vocation and business. There are active pursuits
which are only a business, and again there are positions which are only
a vocation. This is the chief difficulty, that a person so excessively
rich must have only a vocation; there is no necessity of his pursuing
any business. Rich people's children degenerate, because there is no
such necessity."

"What do you understand by vocation?" asked Weidmann.

"I can't at once define it."

"Then allow me to help you," said Eric. "Vocation is a natural gift, or
a necessity, which we turn into a law that acts freely. The brute has
no vocation, because he follows natural instinct alone."

"Very true," nodded the Banker gratefully. "One question more," he
said, turning to Eric. "Hasn't your pupil, as I am sorry to say most
rich men's sons have, the desire to be a cavalier, a young nobleman?"

As Eric made no answer, he continued,--

"Our misfortune is, that the sons of the rich are satisfied with being
heirs, and do not want to find a means of active development for
themselves."

"As we have heard already," began Weidmann's son-in-law, "the young man
wishes to become a soldier, and I believe that he ought to