gh she succeeded in
that, could not prevent herself from thinking of one who was distant.
She would look around as if she could hear his footsteps and as if the
air were filled with his presence; and that man was--the king.

She could not but think that he expected a letter from her, and what
had he received? The news of her departure. Why should she insult and
mortify him?

While at Wildenort, she was several times on the point of writing to
him. She wanted to tell him that she had meant to flee from him; nay,
from herself. Framing the sentences in her mind, she would say to
herself: Flight is not cowardice. Indeed, it requires great strength
thus to tear one's self away. She meant to make this clear to him. She
did not wish him to think ill of humanity and, least of all, of her.
His great and extended energy should not be weakened, or even
disturbed, by the consciousness that mankind had no conception of the
truly noble. She owed it, both to him and to herself, to explain this;
but it is difficult to do it all in writing. She would, therefore,
return and tell him all, and, after that, they would, although distant,
be united in the noblest thoughts. She felt satisfied that she would
find full compensation for a lonely life in the recollection of one
moment of perfect communion with a noble mind, and the consciousness of
truth and purity in thought and deed.

Irma was delighted to think that she had thus liberated herself.

She refrained, as far as possible, from speaking to her father about
the court; but a remark would, now and then, involuntarily escape her,
and she would tell how the king and the queen had praised this or that,
or had uttered such and such a remark, and it was easily to be seen
that she attached special importance to what they had said.

"That's the way with men," said Eberhard, smiling. "They know what they
are, or, at least, ought to; and yet they give a prince the right to
stamp them with a value. It is he who determines: you are worth so and
so much; you a ducat, you a thaler, you a mere brass counter, you a
privy councilor and you a colonel. The story of the creation of the
world is thus ever renewed. There it says that the Creator led the
beasts out before man so that he might give them names. Here the human
animals come to the prince and say; 'Give us a name, or we shall feel
as if naked and be afraid.'"

Irma started at these harsh words. Solitude had brought her father to
this point.