rades with such manifest
conceit."

"But what opinion have you formed about Herr Dournay?"

"I have not formed any opinion about him."

"Why not?"

"I am not impartial; he does not belong to our church."

"But supposing that he did belong to our church, how would you then
regard him?"

"It is not to be supposed. This complacent self-assumption is not
possible with a person who has subjected himself to the divine law; his
deportment is that of a prince travelling incog., or more properly, as
Herr Baron von Pranken says, 'the man coaches round the world in a
lecturer's invisible chair.'"

The two women laughed. Bella had found out enough. She very carefully
impressed upon Fraeulein Perini the necessity of exerting all her
influence against the reception of a man proud of his unbelief.
Fraeulein Perini held her cross with her left hand, and looked somewhat
mischievously at Bella. Then the countess does not wish to have him
here. Is she trying to bring him into her own house, and getting up a
nice intrigue against her husband? She hinted, not without mischievous
satisfaction, that Herr von Pranken, who had occasioned all this, must
also find the proper remedy. Bella gave out also that Eric was,
perhaps, unsuitable in another view; and here, for the third time, it
was expressly said, that Eric was a "dangerous" man.

Fraeulein Perini had spoken of it as applicable, in two respects, to one
present and to one absent, for the special interest of Bella had not
escaped her penetrating eye.

Quickly, and in order to conceal how well she had hit the mark, she
added, that a man like Otto von Pranken had certainly no one to be
afraid of. She spoke with sympathizing eagerness of his journey, that
perhaps it was imprudent, but one must let the passionate youthful
heart take its own course, and it often brought about the right result
better than cautious deliberation and consideration. But Fraeulein
Perini spoke very plainly, and Bella replied as plainly, in
condemnation of Pranken's desire to go counter to the social
ordinances, but any such tendency must be indulged, though with great
reluctance on their part.

Again the conversation reverted to Eric; and Bella was now extremely
good-humored. She pitied the man's aged mother, regarded the
self-conscious bearing of the youth as in reality timidity; he carried
a haughty outside, that he might cover up thereby the menial
dependence. An elevation of the eyelids disclosed tha