he less beautiful for being common. And so the beautiful
enlarges its circumference perpetually."

Roland's eyes sought Eric's at such words; and their flash said, "How
new, how glorious, how wide, the world is!"

On another evening, Weidmann made the casual remark,--

"If the last century deserves to be called the age of enlightenment,
ours should be called the age of free labor; for self-imposed labor is
alone genuine and productive."

Roland did not look at Eric after this, but sat with downcast eyes. He
knew what the expression signified, having heard it used before now in
contradistinction to slave-labor.

Prince Valerian, too, created much amusement. He had always retained
that insatiable desire for knowledge, which he had displayed on his
first day at Wolfsgarten; but Weidmann was as indefatigable in his
answers as the Prince in his questions.

Teaching had acquired a new impressiveness for Roland. He was a member
of society. He heard questions answered which he himself had not
proposed, and, when he subsequently asked these same questions of
himself, the replies sank into his heart more deeply than the answers
to his own inquiries used to do. Weidmann's teachings were always clear
and definite. They fixed attention on the subject exclusively, never on
the teacher, insomuch, that Weidmann's own worth was often quite
overlooked.

A stream so clear that its bed is plainly visible frequently appears
shallower than it really is; and so it was with Weidmann. He was not
brilliant; but he had genuine common sense.

There was always unusual excitement at Mattenheim when a letter arrived
from Dr. Fritz; and Weidmann said openly, that, since storms were
abroad in the world, he trusted that the tempest which had broken over
America might clear the air in Europe.

Encouraged by this remark, Knopf related how it had been represented to
Louis XIII. that he could never convert savage nations, and bring them
into the church, without first enslaving them: now, however, he said,
the heathen were brought into the church, but the little matter of
freeing them afterwards was forgotten.

Frau Weidmann deprecated this sort of discussion before Roland, but
comforted herself with the thought that her husband must have some
deliberate purpose in it all.

And, in fact, it was Weidmann's design to lead Roland to a full
consideration of this question. He knew the sophistry of the world, and
how accessible to such sophistry is a